The thing I heard most often from those who were forced to leave was, "Where do you want me to go?" If the city is allowed to perpetrate these actions without repercussions than there is nothing stopping them from continuing in this manner. The city may have received a black eye from the last round of "cleanups" they engaged in. And in all likelihood they are going to lose the lawsuit that was brought against them by some of the homeless whose rights were infringed upon, but this may be the city's way of showing the repercussions of challenging the city's authority. A way of making the lives of the homeless a living hell.

I was told by one individual that over the past five months that the police have been harassing those living at this particular encampment on a more regular basis. And like clockwork the harassment would get worse on holidays (I guess it's not all that surprising that the city would save Easter (the highest religious holiday in Christianity) for this coup de gras on the homeless). On Thanksgiving squad cars drove up and down the street blaring their horns. The same happened on Christmas, only that time they were also roused from their tents and made to line-up, produce identification, and many were patted-down. A few days before this cleanup several squad cars drove by at night shinning their spot light on the people at the encampment and then shown their lights on the notices that had been posted. "They made it look like 'can you read.'" One individual was told by police, "You're an eyesore, go to G St."

With the untold dollars that were spent on this action, not to mention the resources that were channeled away from meaningful improvements there never was a suitable answer given to those who asked "Where do you want me to go?" So we shift the homeless around from one place to another, and when people drive by and notice that the encampment is gone perhaps they will say to themselves "I'm glad that problem was taken care of." And the city can point to this new more humane way of treating people inhumanely as a job well done. And those city officials and the Fresno PD can slap each other on the backs and shake hands over a job well done. Smiles and jokes.

To those pious scions of Fresno (Mayor Autry, Police Chief Dyer (remember you said that God called you to be chief (http://www.fresnobee.com/194/story/37315.html), I don't think this is what God had in mind when He called you) would do well to remember those words in Matthew 25: 31-46 "For I was hungry, and you offered me food. I was thirsty, and you brought me cold water to drink. I was without home, and you invited me in. I was without clothes, and you clothed me. I was ill, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me...Truly, inasmuch as you have done such things for the least of my brothers and sisters, you have done the same for me."

Happy Easter Mayor, Happy Easter Police Chief Dyer...