From the Heart

Hello!

I know, it’s been a long time, and I’m sorry. My winter trip right into the wildest holiday season I’ve had in a while really took it out of me. But I’ve recouped, I’m fired up about the state of our country, and I’m ready to get back into it.

For about the past week or so, I’ve known I needed to write about certain topics, but trying to organize them has been difficult since they’re all very important. Before I get into it, though, I just want to say: we’ve always been what we can rely on. We’ll have to fight like hell to make it through the next few years, but I know we can do it. You’re not alone in this.

Now.

It’s pretty standard to believe you can’t explain why or beg people to care about other people but damn it if I don’t try.

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On January 8th, there was a public safety town hall with Governor Lujan-Grisham in attendance. Personally, I was very pleasantly surprised to see just how many people there were in disagreement with her insinuation that being unhoused was a major factor in criminality. Of course it can be, but only because they are desperately scrounging for any resource they can actually get their hands on.

Luckily, despite being derailed several times, the community finally got the message through that to really address the problem, we need to focus on meeting unhoused people’s needs, like substance abuse that stems from mental health issues and LACK OF SHELTER.

This topic will probably take a few posts, but for this one, I just want to get across something.

If you care about the unhoused population in Alamogordo, be involved. And if you don’t, I really need you to do some soul-searching as to why. These are fellow human beings, community members, neighbors who are experiencing very rough times. No matter how much people claim it’s some kind of unearned handout, helping your fellow person is a good thing, and in my humble opinion (as well as a philosopher or two) it’s what we owe each other as people inhabiting the same place. It’s the price of admission in a society. There is so much momentum for the unhoused right now, and I believe we have a real shot to take advantage of this fire and make positive change in this town.

You may have heard that the City commission is trying to amend the criminal code as it pertains to private and public camping. Quite a few people here see this as an attempt to criminalize the condition of being unhoused, when we don’t even have a shelter or adequate low-income housing as an alternative (but that’s my next post).

There has been enough of an outcry that this ordinance didn’t just pass, and I love my community for that.

Instead, what I would like all of you reading this to do is show up.

There is a commissioner’s meeting at City Hall on January 28th at 6:30, partially to “workshop” the ordinance. We need people who care about humanity and care about community. We can’t just let them criminalize living in our town. We’re all we can rely on.

I’m very much hoping to see you there.

Salud.