Real community
The daytime warming shelter and Occupy Madison have given the homeless people something that they desperately need ("Warming Shelter for Homeless Closes," 3/29/2013; "Occupy Madison Endures," 3/22/2013). That is a sense of belonging. Now this is being taken away, as the daytime warming shelter is closing and the Occupy Madison camp might be forced to due to zoning requirements.
Community is a collection of people who are different but work together for their common good. When I was at the original Occupy Madison camp, we had volunteers for every job at the camp. Some people chopped wood, others washed dishes, some worked as drivers and delivery personnel. Still others debated for hours what sort of camp we should have and how it would be run.
The daytime warming shelter has seen the same sense of community, because volunteers are what keep it going. Some cook. Others chop ice from the walking path, others work in the computer lab, while some people monitor the children.
The Occupy Madison camp has been moved several times. Koua Vang recently donated unused farmland he owned as a temporary site for the camp after it was forced to move from Token Creek. Now, the city wants to fine him for helping the homeless.
The Constitution allows for the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. The Occupy Madison is a protest group as well as a homeless shelter.
Dave Peters
Mixed reaction
The capsule review of Roast Public House in Isthmus Dining (3/22/2013) calls it a "convenient hangout..., but yet on a student's budget." Well, I had to check that out. Whoa - $7 for a 12-ounce draft! College sure has changed since I graduated. On the other hand, the blue cheese burger at the Harmony Bar was fantastic.
Kenneth Lee