Tweet
You’ve met Cameron Whitten (on Twitter here), in Huxley’s prior excellent post, “Portland’s Cameron Whitten on Day 33 of Hunger Strike for Housing Justice” (July 4, 2012).
I’ve been monitoring and making runs to check the situation myself as I mentioned. It’s suddenly starting to get really hot in Portland (over a 15 degree jump for a high of 90 degrees F today) relative to our recent prior “Jun-uary” sweater/hoodie weather. That’s stressful for those with air conditioning let alone those outdoors exposed to the elements. Today I saw this update. Beyond the suggestions in Huxley’s post you can also Tweet the Portland, OR mayor (on Twitter here) and contact the city commissioners– especially Nick Fish, Commissioner-in-Charge of the Portland Housing Bureau and Portland Parks & Recreation– about your support and urge them to do assist as Huxley has explained including following @CameronWhitten on Twitter.
I’ll catch up with you later here if you leave comments as I am making a run to do a check-in now …
16 Comments
It was a good check-in. Spoke with Cameron and he is in good spirits. Medics are hovering nearby and there is backup support, but, hey, it’s already been over a month. I don’t personally see what’s wrong with lifting the camping ban for an estimated 2,100 people that sleep on Portland’s streets each night so they can have a dignity village at an empty church lot or adding a housing levy measure to the November 2012 General Election.
Then folks in the “yuppie city” of Portland would know how many homeless people there actually are in the city. The city fathers no doubt are trying to drive them to move somewhere else.
Spot on TarheelDem.
A message for Portland residents:
Also, water has damaged Cameron’s laptop, he lost access to a loaner and he’d like to make updates to his website. If you are local and can assist him, he’s by the right hand side row of news boxes (see image from Google Map of the location) in front of City Hall located at 1221 SW 4th Ave., Portland, OR, 97204.
An update: “Hunger Strike at City Hall is Ready to Last Over 50 Days,” July 10, 2012
If you want to assist in getting a replacement laptop for Cameron, you can go here.
I would have found it hard to do university studies while not eating:
Day 39:
More updates re the vigil at Portland City Hall today:
.
.
.
Hmmm …
From ‘Race Talks: Opportunities for Dialogue – “Fasten Your Seatbelts! It’s Been A Bumpy Ride: The History of Housing Discrimination in Oregon”‘:
From “Cameron Whitten keeps stirring the pot on housing justice” (Street Roots, July 11, 2012):
Decades ago Dr. Patrica Norris (Clinical Director of the Biofeedback ad Psychophysiology Center at the Menninger Clinic, 1980-1994) did compassionate and sophisticated non-pharmaceutical therapy with prisoners in the Kansas state system which included biofeedback and imagery. She was very excited about the results she saw in activating the individuals’ healing processes to recover from experiences prior to and entering prison. A very large proportion of people left this program to have much more integrated, happier lives. She published numerous articles on her work including “Working With Prisoners, or There’s Nobody Else Here,” and “I Choose Life: The Dynamics of Visualization and Biofeedback” (with Garrett Porter). I am sad to say that I can’t find any online versions of these articles for you to read.
Meanwhile, it comes out that Canada is studying private firms for prisons as it slashes its budgets (Bloomberg, July 10, 2012). This lie of “austerity” is just deplorable and perpetuating human society as one big battle field and prison which is not actually going to solve any of humanity’s underlying and self-generated problems.
[Video] Sacred Economics with Charles Eisenstein (I suggest closing your eyes to really listen to the words)
Time to make a new choice.
Making a run to do a check-in on Cameron now …