Saige Hanson- Fogarty

̈Justice Project Cover Letter ̈

Homelessness
¨We have come dangerously close to accepting the homeless situation as a problem that
we just can't solve.¨ (Linda Lingle, Google)
In 2017, Mary Shinn said that ¨91 residents, including 19 children, are sleeping in a place
unfit for human habitation or in an emergency shelter.¨ (Durango Herald) How do homeless
people survive while sleeping on the streets with no warmth, food, and barely any shelter? In
Durango, some homeless people have moved around from different camps with a strict amount
of rules. They were only able to stay in one spot for 24 hours, and then they would have to pack
up camp and find a different place. They also had a parameter that they couldn’t pass and camp
in, otherwise, they could be arrested. Almost a month ago, the homeless camp got moved out
near Walmart. The land that they sleep on is a steep hill, and it is far from Manna Soup Kitchen,
so there is little to no transportation for them. Durango has homeless people who are trying to
find stability and support within the community. The issue, however, is that some of the camp
locations are causing civilians to become uncomfortable by homeless people around them. There
is a security issue when it comes to homeless people living by houses, whether they are afraid of
getting broken into, or getting physically harmed. Homeless people leave a lot of big messes and
don´t tend to not clean them up. Sean Smith, a Sheriff for the La Plata County, said that ¨he
threw a sleeping bag away full of trash.¨ (Durango Herald) Manna Soup Kitchen and the City of
Durango are teaming up together to find a permanent area for homeless people. Manna is also
seeking a way of transportation because they are moving the homeless people out of town, and
they need a way to get to Manna to eat.
There are several injustices that the homeless community face. People who have lost their
job, or can’t afford a place for much longer, don’t get enough help from the government. There is
also a huge problem with Domestic Violence. Homeless people aren’t able to purchase food,
clothes, provide shelter for their families or get medical attention. They wear the same clothes
every day and carry all of their belongings on their backs. This becomes a way of life for them
and many people either look down on them or judge them. (Kaley Burrows) Some prefer not to
go through the embarrassment of asking for help.
Homeless people are looked down upon because of their looks and where they live. They
are treated unfairly by people who look upon them in negativity. They have been given a label
that the public has placed on them. Some people feel that being homeless is a choice and that
they have every opportunity out there to live a normal life. But a lot of the homeless have been
born into poverty and do not have the tools to change their situation. Some believe that they are
thieves, criminals, the mentally ill, and even lazy. However, a lot of these perceptions that people
have about the homeless are inaccurate.
Philosopher John Rawls believes that justice means treating all people equally, and he
argues that if people went under a “veil of ignorance” you wouldn’t know anything about who
you are, your abilities, or the position that you have in society. He also suggests that if you
imagine yourself in an original position behind a veil of ignorance. Behind this veil, you know
nothing of yourself and your natural abilities or your position in society. You know nothing of
your sex, race, nationality, or individual tastes. It is important to remember that people should
have equal rights, just like Rawls’s philosophy of justice. He believed that whether you are born
rich or poor, black or white, gay or straight, all people should have equal opportunity.
I believe that in order to slow down this act of negativity towards people who suffer from
homelessness, we need to stop judging them for their looks and situation and especially before
we know their stories. We could also start educating people on the reasons homelessness occurs.
By doing this, we will start to see a society that is more accepting and helpful towards those in
need. People will understand where homeless people come from and what they could have been
through that made them homeless. I want to propose an idea to the City of Durango and Manna
Soup Kitchen to find a stable place for homeless people to live and a better solution to what they
live in.