A New Crime Of Hate: Assault and Murder Of The Homeless

Three men were brutally beaten, one to death, by baseball bat wielding teens in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this week. One of the men, Norris Gaynor was sleeping on a park bench when he was dragged and beaten to death by a group of two to four young men.

A video surveillance tape recorded the horrifying act, which was turned over to police. I've included the link to the video, it makes for some sickening viewing. The other two men were beaten the same night in separate attacks in the area, approximately 90 minutes apart.

None of these men were bothering anyone, nor did anything to provoke such savage assaults, except for one thing-they are homeless. Is this an isolated incident? Unfortunately no. Crimes against the homeless have been going on for a long time, and appear to be on the rise. 386 homeless people have suffered assaults in our nation, with 156 deaths according to the National Coalition For The Homeless.

Shelters and churches that feed and care for our homeless report seeing more evidence of beatings than ever. Black eyes, broken teeth and limbs are becoming all too common. This is a symptom of the way some people in our society view poverty and our poorest of the poor, our Outsiders. It is a shameful and base act, this type of savagery against ill, malnourished and defenseless people.

Kathleen Kernicky interviews Charlotte York:

"In the shadow of the downtown skyscrapers, behind a vacant motel and a dilapidated house, 84-year-old Charlotte York points to the grassy spot where she used to sleep. Flattened pieces of cardboard and soiled clothing are strewn across the ground.

"They're dirty and smelly now. I can't take them," Charlotte says, distraught, her eyes almost swollen shut from a recent blow across the face. She had moved that night, to get out of the rain, to a covered overhang at the front of the motel. She was asleep when two men struck her with a 2-by-4."

Even more disgusting is the twisted segment of our population who buy videos, that are sold in mainstream stores, depicting beatings and the degradation of our Outsiders. Titles such as Bum One and Bum 2, were recently sold on eBay, Amazon and other known sites. The National Coalition On Homelessness is requested that stores selling this type of garbage be reported to them.

In California, many of our Outsiders are severely mentally ill. Police who were once able to get them safely to state hospitals for care, can do so no longer, due to the enactment years ago, of the Short-Doyle Landris-Petris Act. Because of this legislation, which came into law during Ronald Reagan's tenure as Governor of California, no one can be committed for longer than 72 hours, unless they are deemed a danger to themselves or others. Unfortunately, under the law, not being able to secure housing, or bathe regularly doesn't qualify for commitment.

Mentally ill or not, what happens almost daily to our homeless, is at heart a crime of hate. Last year Representatives Robert Wexler and John Conyers asked the GAO to investigate the crimes to see if they fall under hate crime statutes. The people who harm those so much less fortunate, just because they are homeless, are no different than any other racist or semi-fascisistic mentality.

In Florida, this December, 4 teenagers were convicted of fatally beating a homeless man to death. In Broward County, 100,000 are homeless says Laura Hansen, Director of the Broward County Coalition For The Homeless. "I wish I could say it was shocking and appalling, but it's not, we see it all the time" she states.

That many of these attacks are being committed by young people, tells me that part of the problem lies right at home or within their immediate community. Many times parents, friends and neighbors may express frustration with panhandling or just having to encounter the Outsiders. And I have to believe most of the time it is not ill meant, but venting. I've done it myself, after being accosted for money by multiple people asking for handouts. And no, it isn't pretty seeing dirty, unkempt people pushing carts filled with even dirtier belongings in an area you frequent.

What I have to remind myself is first they are human beings who are in need, and that I have boys who listen to most anything I say. When I have vented, I've pointed out that many of us are but one step away from being where they are. That frustration is one thing, but despising someone because they are poor and homeless is criminally ignorant. I believe most responsible parents do the same. Because we know the safety nets that exist don't work like they should, and often fail people completely.

Social Security Disability takes up to 12 months or more in most cases, to kick in. Workmen's Compensation is an utter joke, and emergency help with housing for families in crisis is very hard to find.

There are people out there only because our system failed them both as workers and human beings. Unum Provident, an insurance carrier for workers, that was supposed to pay benefits within 30 days, and which workers had, as in my husbands case $40.00 a week deducted from his check, has been successfully prosecuted for major fraud in many states, including California. But while the wheels of justice grind on, many workers lose homes, families and lives.

Do the youthful perpetrators committing these atrocious acts know any of this? I doubt it, and if they did, they most likely choose not to believe it. These acts are the result of ignorance and prejudice. And if they are not stopped, who will these young people choose next? If there are statutes stating that homosexuality, religious preference and the disabled are protected under hate crime statutes, then certainly being hopeless, homeless and helpless should qualify under the same guidelines.

In a nation where over 30% of our family budgets go for housing, and we have multiple failures in the systems designed to prevent homelessness, it's time to reassess the entire picture. Why should Workmen's Comp be so adversarial towards workers, who pay in for protection with each check? Why should it take 12 months for a disabled worker in most cases to get benefits? Until we can begin to address the underlying issues, which rest in large part within our own governments, both state and federal, the problem of homelessness will steadily increase.

And most of all, our schools need to help young people understand from a very early age not to judge nor hate people because they don't live as we do. To become part of the solution to this and other societal ills, not the problem. We've failed miserably somewhere here, when we produce young people who are capable of committing such atrocious acts based on ignorance and hatred towards anyone different from them. Hopefully our next generation will be more compassionate and enlightened in its dealings with those less fortunate.

Addendum : Stop Selling Hate

There are major corporate retailers who have found it acceptable to sell these videos and DVDs in their stores and on the internet that show homeless people participating in the acts of self mutilation, drinking urine or Windex for money or alcohol, and fighting. For a current list of these vendors and/or online stores selling these videos, please visit NCH’s website at www.nationalhomeless.org.

Fortunately, a few corporations (Amazon.com, Borders, eBay, and Best Buy) have stopped selling the disturbing videos as per NCH’s request. These are retailers that depend on their public image, yet find it acceptable to traffic violent and dehumanizing films and videos. They are taking advantage of a vulnerable, minority population to make a profit. The first video, "Bum Fights," grossed over six million dollars in one month, and those recently produced continue to bring in profit at the "expense of the homeless people who are exploited and aren’t paid one cent," said Michael Stoops, acting executive director for the National Coalition for the Homeless. Years ago, these films were relegated to the adult video world, less reputable stores, or some dark corner of the internet – not the brightly-lit shelves of retail stores.

NCH considers the sale of these films as approval of this illegal behavior, and possibly encouraging the further development of these exploitative films. It perpetuates the rise of hate speech and hate crimes/violence directed against homeless people in the United States. NCH will continue to monitor these videos.

If you discover the distribution of such items in your community, take personal action by contacting your local retailer. Demand the following:

a. That they immediately stop selling these videotapes or DVDs and destroy the current inventory.

b. That they turn over the profits from the sale of these violent videotapes to an agency of their choosing that serves homeless people.

Please also send a copy of your letter, email or fax to:

Michael Stoops
Acting Executive Director
National Coalition for the Homeless
Phone: (202) 462-4822 ext 19
Fax: (202) 462-4823
Email: mstoops@nationalhomeless.org