To the Editor:

Webster’s Dictionary: Survival means to extend life. Gear means clothing, movable property, equipment, etc. Hence; survival gear is clothing, movable property (backpack, tent, sleeping bag), equipment (tarps, food, flashlight, stove, water container, first aid, gloves, first aid, etc.).

Homeless persons "survival gear" is taken from them every day in HumCo. To deny this is to condone John Casali and the sheriff’s theft of the rightful belongings of people in poverty. I hope to see this relationship between the sheriff and John Casali come before the courts very soon.

If I closed my eyes and listen real close I can hear the sounds of the deep south coming through in the talk around HumCo about how they hate this class of people. It’s like homeless has taken the place of colored folk who weren’t allowed in white areas of town. Except that blacks had public bathrooms and a certain area to live in these two groups have similar impacts on society and society upon them.

My experience, along with Debra and Mark Carey, with poverty at the extreme level of homelessness, has convinced me that because of the discrimination of business, property owners and corrupt government upon the desperately poor, that is unconstitutional and downright mean spirited, this county has refused to make available housing for all income levels with the intentions of running the poor out of HumCo. Therefore legal investigation must take place immediately to correct this injustice.

Because of the economic crisis and the returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan homeless numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. Instead of fighting about who is to blame for the garbage collected why don’t we go to the source and make a campground available where garbage can be properly maintained and human life will be respected without class lines.

A tend is affordable housing.

Kathy Anderson

Eureka