Your right about real kindness but our politicians are not even near that level of thinking. This protest was due to laws in our city that are unconstitutional, unethical , immoral and selectivity enforced against the poor, ranking one of the most liberal cities in the nation as one of the top ten worst cities in its treatment of it's homeless. Ranked by Bush's own bullshit Homeless task force. Some of our laws - A Nighttime Sleeping Ban that makes it illegal to sit, lie or SLEEP anywhere, on public or even private property -- at night. Additionally we have a nighttime Blanket Ban, making it illegal for the simple act of a woman or man covering up in the cold at night on a park bench, awak...

Your right about real kindness but our politicians are not even near that level of thinking. This protest was due to laws in our city that are unconstitutional, unethical , immoral and selectivity enforced against the poor, ranking one of the most liberal cities in the nation as one of the top ten worst cities in its treatment of it's homeless. Ranked by Bush's own bullshit Homeless task force. Some of our laws - A Nighttime Sleeping Ban that makes it illegal to sit, lie or SLEEP anywhere, on public or even private property -- at night. Additionally we have a nighttime Blanket Ban, making it illegal for the simple act of a woman or man covering up in the cold at night on a park bench, awake or asleep. These are crimes of necessity. They don't want the right to sleep everywhere and anywhere, just somewhere. Its also illegal to be in a public parking lot for more than 15 minutes, even in your own car. There has been no crime wave to justify such laws. We have small "free speech zones" downtown. I thought America was a free speech zone.

It is illegal to sit on the ground within 10 feet of a wall, or a 50 feet of a change machine which they place in strategic areas where the poor like to sit in the shade to keep them from being seen by consumers. It is illegal to sleep in your car. It is illegal to sleep in a tent on your friends lawn for more than 3 days. We have shelter in the winter for about 150 of the 2500 homeless. Camping grounds a plenty sit empty in the winter. Shelters do not allow married couples. You have to sign in and hope for a bed long before the average job ends. Most would rather brave the winter and cops. These laws create tickets which lead to fines which lead to more poverty, bad credit etc.
Its very normal to see 3-5 officers harassing someone for feeding the poor. Or harassing a human being for leaning against a cement planter.

They powers that be could do so much more, but they will not by their own will. We must demand it.