<p>Do you care about civil rights for EVERYBODY? On Thursday, 1 pm on
the steps of City Hall, homeless people, Arise and allies will be
holding a peaceful vigil in support of EVERYONE'S right to dignity and
civil rights. We are holding this vigil simultaneously with a
Springfield City Council Subcommittee on Human Rights, where they will
be discussing the "problem of homeless people," NOT "homeless people's
problems.
<br><br>Dom Sarno is the chair of this subcommittee. It was Dom, last
year, who thought one good solution would be to put skunk-scented spray
all all the city's empty buildings, so that homeless people would find
it impossible to sleep in them. Som is also the director of the South
End Community Center, a huge, underutilized space that would make just
a wonderful day center for homeless people! Too bad that solution
hasn't crossed his mind as he works to do his "problem-solving."
<br><br>Since we have started organizing, we have also heard from the
mothers and friends of several young kids of color, who have also been
stopped by the police to have their picture taken. Believe me, there
was nothing voluntary about it. I could say more, but I don't want to
have to write "allegedly" in front of everything. One of these kids
will be going on record soon enough. <br><br>Pleaase, please come and support us if you can. Whether you
can or can't, making the following phone calls will still be EXTREMELY
HELPFUL.<br><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';">
</span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';">Call the Mayor's office at<span> </span>787-6100 and demand a solution to homelessness that does not
"require" harassment of the homeless.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';">Call Police Commissioner Flynn at</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';">
787-6313
and tell him to order his officers to cease taking pictures of homeless people.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';">Call Domenic Sarno at the South End Community Center
at 788-6173 and tell him to stop grandstanding and come up with REAL solutions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Courier New';">And call Steve Roberts at 781-7444, ask him to treat
homeless people decently and suggest he stop selling liquor at his convenience
store.</span></p><br clear="all"><br>