Violence Against the Homeless

The homeless have become a class of people discriminated against. There is little regard for their existence, and least of all, their dignity. The House of Representatives proposed Bill HB 11: Crimes Against Homeless Persons. If passed, the bill will “reclassify offenses evidencing prejudice based on homeless status of victim.”
Authorities often view the homeless as a burden, which increases public animosity. Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, said, “…there are increasingly punitive actions taken by cities against homeless people. So that also sends a message that these people are less human and that attacking them is okay.”
That is exactly what homeless discrimination has escalated to: physical attacks. 2006’s video Bumfights forced homeless people to brutally fight each other. The homeless are targeted for violent crime because they are not considered equals. In 2008 TIME Magazine deemed homeless brutality a potential hate crime. A few years ago the National Coalition for the Homeless reported over one in four attacks result in murder.
We as a community, state, country and even world need to take action against this tragedy. A homeless California native was doused with gasoline and burned to death in 2008. His sister, Susanne McGraham-Paisley, said of his killer, “That person had so many opportunities to change [his] mind and … didn’t.”
The fact that a bill would need to exist to end these crimes reflects very poorly on our society. Legislation already exists for violence against the homeless, yet clearly more is needed. Government’s ultimate aim is to house the homeless and provide social services. Bill HB 11 would ensure homeless persons’ safety during this process.
The homeless deserve more respect than they are shown. We should acknowledge their misfortune rather than any inconvenience they may cause.
The bill’s effective date is October 1, 2010. We can hope the House of Representatives does not choose to ignore the brutality occurring on the streets of their own cities.