Hate crimes against the homeless

Navigation

User login

Online users

Austin American

Support OlyBlog

OlyBlog is run by volunteers who care about Olympia. If you like what we're doing, make a donation:

OlyBlog is powered by:

Who's new

Hylik
KybosInfo
radosintra
remitov
Kunstkamera

Hate crimes against the homeless

Submitted by Phil Owen on Sat, 06/24/2006 - 6:39pm.

This was posted under “breaking news” in the Olympian today:

"Handicapped homeless man set on fire in Spokane, seriously burned

SPOKANE (AP) — A homeless, wheelchair-bound man was hospitalized with extensive burns after being set afire in downtown Spokane, police said.

Spokane police spokesman Tom Lee identified the man as 50-year-old Douglas R. Dawson. He was flown to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, the region’s trauma and burn center, in critical condition on Friday."

I’m tired of this crap. Every day I hear stories from street people about being “moved on”, verbally and even physically assaulted by pedestrians and cops, and being degraded by social workers. I’m tired of it.

Seven years ago the Olympian reported on a homeless man who had been stabbed eight times by a pack of youth. They didn’t rob him. I was one of the EMT’s who responded on the call. I remember, very clearly, the man gurgling through the blood (he had been stabbed in the throat). He said he didn’t know the kids. They had no reason to attack him. There could have been some other reason, but I was left with the impression that it had been a hate crime.

The National Coalition for the Homeless publishes an annual report on hate crimes (see http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/reports.html ). Homeless people get burned alive and beaten to death. Shelters get firebombed. You have no idea how bad it gets until you read the last seven years of their reports.

People think that the horrible oppression of segregation and hate ended with the death of Jim Crow laws in the south. It didn’t.

Phil Owen's blog
Login or register to post comments

Hate continues

Submitted by Sarah on Sat, 06/24/2006 - 6:55pm.

Hate continues and the vulnerable are targets.

I can't write anything intelligent about this at the moment but want to put my words up in solidarity.

So sad...I just don't

Submitted by OperaGirl on Sat, 06/24/2006 - 7:34pm.

So sad...I just don't understand some people.

Sad.

Submitted by Jade on Sat, 06/24/2006 - 9:36pm.

For quite some time now the National Coalition for the Homeless has been tracking hate crimes against the homeless, and lobbying to include housing status as a protected class.

Now would be a great time for citizens of Washington state to advocate for this on the state level.

Jade

(A Rose in the Pumpkin Patch)

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/index.html

At a loss

Submitted by Norm on Sat, 06/24/2006 - 11:14pm.

How a human being is capable of doing things such as this is beyond my comprehension. Things like this certainly bring out my vengeful side.

This is where a fair society

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Sat, 06/24/2006 - 11:51pm.

This is where a fair society would strap the people responsible to a wheelchair and light them on fire.

Cruel and unusual? Oh yeah, definately.

Which is why such action would have to be done outside of the usual avenues.

"The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern."

Holy Cats...

Submitted by Phil Owen on Sun, 06/25/2006 - 12:02am.

Wow, TFI. I think you may have missed the point here...

You may be right about what a "fair" society would do, but if that's the case then I want no part of a "fair" society.

Not that I can't relate to what you're saying. Violence is the first thought in my mind when I'm viciously angry. But reconciliation is a lot more powerful than violence. Look up "restorative justice" or, for a great example, the "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" of South Africa. These might offer some great examples of how to confront this kind of horrific injustice.

Besides, hate crimes like this one are just the tip of the iceberg. The daily humiliations of the homeless give context to events like this. I wish there were some kind of real movement to deal with the issue.

And to think I'm looking at

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Sun, 06/25/2006 - 12:11am.

And to think I'm looking at being an interrogator in the military.

"The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern."

I heard

Submitted by Jessica on Sun, 06/25/2006 - 1:31am.

somebody who is homeless said to me the other night, that "homeless people are the niggers of the 21st century" and that they had been repeatedly denied by a fast food restaurant the right to eat their food inside at a table. Instead, their food was always placed in a bag even when they said they wanted to eat inside. I feel so incredibly sad and frustrated when I hear these stories.

Even though I know it's

Submitted by yanna on Sun, 06/25/2006 - 5:34pm.

Even though I know it's always going on, it always makes me sad to hear about people caring more about money than about other people. :(

A couple of years ago a bill

Submitted by POLDF on Mon, 06/26/2006 - 6:14am.

A couple of years ago a bill was passed in our state legislative house of representatives, but did not pass the senate. Any one interested in working on this issue can call me to participate in the upcoming session.

--
Pat Tassoni
Thurston County Tenants Union
203 E. 4th Ave #412 Olympia, WA 98501
(360) 943-3036
tctu@tenantsunion.org

HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2578

Title: An act relating to adding situations in which a crime victim is vulnerable or incapable of resistance due to the lack of a fixed residence to the list of illustrative aggravating circumstances for which an exceptional sentence may be imposed.

Brief Description: Adding situations in which a crime victim is vulnerable or incapable of resistance due to the lack of a fixed residence to the list of illustrative aggravating circumstances for which an exceptional sentence may be imposed.

Sponsors: By Representatives O'Brien, Delvin, Pettigrew, Benson, Kessler, Haigh, Boldt, Clibborn and Pearson.

Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Criminal Justice & Corrections: 1/27/04, 2/4/04 [DP].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 2/14/04, 70-25.

Brief Summary of Bill o Expands the illustrative list of aggravating factors that a court may consider when imposing an exceptional sentence to include offenses committed against victims who are vulnerable or incapable of resistance due to the lack of a fixed residence.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 5 members: Representatives O'Brien, Chair; Darneille, Vice Chair; Kagi, Pearson and Veloria.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 2 members: Representatives Mielke, Ranking Minority Member; and Ahern, Assistant Ranking Minority Member.

Staff: Sarah Shirey (Jim Morishima 786-7191).

Background:

Under the Sentencing Reform Act (SRA), when sentencing a defendant who is convicted of a felony, standard sentence ranges are statutorily prescribed. The standard range for a given offense is determined by the seriousness of the crime and the offender's criminal history. A sentence within the standard range may not be appealed. However, a court may depart from the standard range, imposing an exceptional sentence above or below the standard range. Generally, the court must find there are substantial and compelling reasons known as "mitigating" or "aggravating" circumstances, to impose an exceptional sentence. A sentence above or below SRA's standard range may be appealed by the state or the defendant.

The SRA provides a list of illustrative factors that a court may consider to be mitigating or aggravating circumstances when deciding whether to impose a sentence outside of the standard range. Some of the illustrative aggravating factors provided by the SRA include: behavior that manifested into deliberate cruelty to a victim; vulnerability of a victim; sexual motivation on the part of the defendant; or an ongoing pattern of multiple incidents of abuse to a victim.

Summary of Bill:

The illustrative list of aggravating factors that a court may consider when deciding whether to impose an exceptional sentence outside of the standard range is expanded to include crimes committed against people that the offender knows to be vulnerable or incapable of resistance due to the lack of a fixed residence.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: Current law allows judges to consider the vulnerability of victims as aggravating circumstances. Homeless people are among the most vulnerable in our society. Washington ranks as the third worst state for violence against the homeless. Seattle ranks as the seventh worst city for violence against the homeless. Courts should be able to consider the vulnerability of a victim due to lack of a home as an aggravating circumstance.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Seth Dawson, Washington State Coalition for the Homeless.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.

Douglas R. Dawson

Submitted by Sarah on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 3:59am.

He was a military veteran and amputee. Murdered.

Homeless man who was set afire in Spokane dies

Sad. I never really thought

Submitted by Norm on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 4:53am.

Sad. I never really thought deeply about burn victims until I began working with them. I can't imagine a more horrific way to die.

OlyBlog.net

OlyBlog is devoted to citizen journalism, including hyperlocal news and discussion specifically about Olympia, Washington. If you care about this community and are tired of corporate media, then this is the place for you.

If you'd like to contribute, please register for an account. Here is a list of local news beats that need to be covered. You can post your news as a personal blog entry, and it will be reviewed (and possibly edited) for promotion to the front page. Once you've established a record of responsible blogging, you can become an autonomous user. You can also send news via email. All members of OlyBlog agree to abide by our comment and fair use policies. If you are frustrated about something said in a comment thread, go here.

Now playing at: