(Elias Gutierrez)

This country preaches love and commitment to Democracy. But government officials and staff send government workers to come and demolish our houses and curbside communities. Officials cry, “Democracy!” But decisions hit us like the bombs the United States uses to destroy homes and communities in other countries. Pretending to care and be heroes to refugees in other countries. Now they done created economic refugee camps in our own backyard.

Literally it’s no democracy at all to the curbside community. City officials not showing our people compassion and human kindness worries me. Immigrants come to America for opportunity. But if you’re poor, or struggling, or had bad luck, or made a mistake, or got sick, you get no opportunities. How can we all ride on the phrase, “We the people”? “We the people” from our Declaration of Independence means one nation, one community, one land, with one solution. Everyone comes as one to assist one another. No matter if you are young, old, fat or skinny, housed or unhoused. No matter what.

We, the most vulnerable of the people, deserve a chance for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

City officials need to act like public servants with humanity, not greedy developers and shady land grabbers. City officials need to realize “those homeless” are humans too. Humans who need a step up, not a strike down. Pieces of public land for curbside communities to find sanctuary is a new beginning of a solid solution. So that we, the most vulnerable of the people, can have a chance for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Word on tha Curb is a column that covers the struggle to exist on the street. It is produced by The Village—an advocacy group in Oakland.