The people seem resigned and uninterested in their eviction from the Joe Rodota Trail, which starts as early as tomorrow at 2:30. The life in community is infinitely better than being scattered, and they will squeeze every hour from it they can. I’m curious how the police will handle that attitude. I’m sure the paddywagon and the sheer breadth of agencies involved in yesterday’s raid in south Santa Rosa were supposed to impress. Yet I don’t know anyone on the trail who has moved anything away, excepting only a few sneaks who have been at it a little. If we’d've harangued and banged on a can all up and down the trail, I don’t think it would’ve made a difference.
However, I have heard many talking and asking about where to go. 25 years of looking at homelessness, the questions still floor me: that a day from now can be so unknown, with worldly goods, relationships, and health turned into matters of chance. I tell them this week that I don’t know any place to go; that we may not have any trucks, depending on how many people show up and contribute to help.
If situations escalate, our officials may behave so erroneously that one must drape bodies across things, and impede their police’s intent. We part ways respectfully with their police management then, in view of our difference in interests, and meet as enemies who know and respect one another. We can keep communicating about some aspects of it, if safety or risk is involved.
The philosopher and social scientist Michael Nagler teaches that the point in a conflict when one engages in civil disobedience is a personal thing, but we can often recognize together how the madness has continued too long to stand aside. The first part of that lesson, the personal nature of the decision, has resonated with me for weeks. I’ve taken a tide that lapped at my feet a scant hour ago. I am moved to act, and to urge others to.
The second part of Michael’s lesson is that we can see our way to being moved often at roughly the same time, and act together seemingly all at once. We’re not talking about a great many of us gained to the fight, per se; having 12 instead of 6 opens up all kinds of avenues in many situations. We can see our way together to an act of defense in these cruel evictions. When volunteers become close to our friends, and learn of their lives, we feel together with them the human costs of bad ideas reigning supreme in encampment policy. We can easily link arms with our sons and daughters and aunties, and find a sensible place to stand.