Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968.
A great man with just and worthy ideals, taken from this world long before his time by the simmering hatred of an implacable few who could not even bear to consider the idea of change or reasoned debate.
In what is believed to be a first for any administration, the United States Senate Committee on Crime and Drugs held a meeting this morning in Washington D.C., entitled ‘Crimes Against America’s Homeless: Is the Violence Growing?”
The declared goal of this unprecedented assembly is to decide on action to cure the growing trend of violence against homeless people. NCH reports that in the last ten years alone homeless people have suffered 1,074 acts of violence, resulting in 291 deaths.
There are also documented cases of homeless men, women and even children being verbally and physically harassed, set on fire, beaten and even decapitated.
After years of media indifference these sickening numbers have finally drawn some attention and were undoubtedly a factor in causing what could be an influential first meeting to devise remedial action.
The meeting’s main focus will be the ‘Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Statistics Act (S. 1765), introduced by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME.) It requires the FBI to collect data on crimes against this nation’s homeless.
This is believed to be the first such collective discussion ever held by Congress that specifically seeks to protect and enforce the civil rights of those who have no claim to a home; A previously un-regarded slice of this nation who currently number in excess of 9-million.
But with just four weeks before the November mid-terms it remains to be seen if politics will play a part and block what is no more than a pledge of fair treatment and justice for those who can’t fight back…
Photo by Kevin Burkett
