“I don’t put my name on an ordinance unless I believe in my heart
and my head that it’s the right thing to do,” said Commissioner
Amanda Fritz, telling city council last week why she
wants to renew the sit-lie ordinance for six more months. “It’s
actually changing my mind from what I thought I would do when I was
campaigning last year.”
Damn right. “When I campaigned last year I said that I would need a
lot more evidence to support this ordinance,” Fritz said.
Call me naïve, but I thought I could count on Fritz to stick
to that position when she actually got elected. Instead, she’s now
suggesting that with six more months of outreach, education, and
discussion on the sit-lie law, the city can somehow achieve
“reconciliation.”
While I think Fritz may actually believe what she’s saying, I don’t
accept that we can continue to compromise people’s civil rights while waiting for the law to jibe with our pseudo-liberal consciences.
Discussing morally abhorrent behavior while we continue to indulge in
it is the opposite of democracy. It’s pretending.
I’ve sat through almost three years of process about the sit-lie,
and as far as I’ve noticed, nobody’s changed their minds. The
Portland Business Alliance (PBA) continues to argue that
providing a few basic services in trade for an ordinance designed to
push homeless people out of downtown is okay. Others, me included,
think we should provide things like a homeless day center and benches
without tacking on a draconian ordinance. Sorry, but trading
civil rights for basic services is never okay.
“It blows my mind that we’re able to talk about saving the earth
through green buildings and sustainability while simultaneously
criminalizing human existence,” said Katie “Stoop” Nilson, at
last week’s hearing, providing a pointed critique to Mayor Sam Adams’
ongoing support of this law.
Homeless advocate Patrick Nolen said the aggressive panhandling and
harassment supposedly being targeted by the sit-lie is already illegal.
“Since I’ve been in office I’ve heard from a lot of downtown businesses
who are struggling right now and who have said that this ordinance
has been helpful,” said Fritz. And all I could think was that since
her election, Fritz has somehow been seduced by the PBA.
“I hope you become homeless,” yelled one audience member at
last week’s meeting. I don’t wish that on anyone, but I can certainly
understand this person’s anger and disappointment.
“Discussing morally abhorrent behavior while we continue to indulge in it is the opposite of democracy.”
Perhaps you should grab the dictionary and look up ‘democracy,’ Matt. That sentence makes no sense.
Sorry–I am related to “Stoop”, and she chose to be homeless. She made a choice, and then complained about facing the very same consequences she KNEW would happen. She is a self-proclaimed button-pusher. She makes up issues, so she can argue against them. Donna Quiote, anyone?