Each day the National news has stories of injustice, brutality and bigotry.
Even now, in 2015 social and racial equality, and justice are hard to come by, even in Fort Bragg.
In
Fort Bragg this has become painfully obvious with the group "The Concerned Citizens" of Fort Bragg trying to put an initiative on the
ballot to ban all Social Services from our downtown.
Why you
may wonder, why in the world would anyone want to do that?
Why would a
group of "concerned citizens" ban services that help people who are in
some kind of need?
This group of people are the same group that was
against the Hospitality House using the Old Coast Hotel as a wellness
center. Because they are hell bent on taking the Wellness Center at the
Old Coast down, they are willing to take other social services down
with it.
The CCFB obviously do not want help the homeless and mentally ill
that would use the Wellness center at the Old Coast. They would rather
not see them at all. But they have also now attacked every social
service that our town offers, (which is a lot.) No social service
business would be able to locate, re-locate, expand or move in Fort
Bragg Downtown.
Our downtown or the "central business district" is just
that. It is centrally located and easy to get to. Yes, we want people
to come downtown to shop, bank, eat, and I think to fulfill their
social service needs. I do not think that anyone would be served better
by having to go, farther, like say, the other side of the tracks, to
get services.
I have a businesses in our central business district
and I am not worried that helping people will hurt my business. I do
not think that our retail and other businesses are so fragile. I bank
downtown, walk downtown with my family, and shop downtown, and I am not
afraid to do so. I am afraid of allowing people in our community to
be treated so unjustly.
If we let this hateful initiative on the
ballot , that is just doing this whole town a disservice. Fort Bragg
has a reputation of being progressive in helping those in need. Right
now in our downtown we already have social services offered at Parent's
and Friends, Art Explorers, Project Sanctuary, and of course the
Hospitality House. These businesses would have to stay where they are
not move or expand in our downtown, and none of our other great social
services would be able to relocate into our downtown.
This initiative
is wrong and hateful on so many levels.
If you are approached to sign
an initiative please, do not sign it!
We can't let hatred, fear and
prejudice make decisions for our city.
Join me, at the next city council meeting. Let's show the "concerned citizens" of Fort Bragg and our city council that we do not agree with this measure being put on the ballot.
The meeting is September 14th at 6pm at Town Hall.
Meet me early and get a button and some more information regarding this issue.
I will be at
Perfect Circle T'ai Chi at 330 N. Franklin St. at
5:30 pm, lets walk to the meeting together!
