What’s a civilized country? Do you mean a country that has not been destabilized by colonization, imperialism, etc.?

Homelessness isn’t about character. It’s about systems, struggle, and survival. The people on the streets aren’t our enemies. They’re people, just like I was, with dreams, fears, and the right to safety and shelter. They deserve housing. They deserve respect.

I don’t talk about that time much but it was too large part of my late teens/20s. I’d aged out of foster care at 17 with no support and no idea how to care for myself. I made poor choices, yes, but they weren’t moral failures. They were the choices of someone trying to survive without a roadmap.

We can still hold our values. But we also have to be honest: we’re past the point where nonviolence, by itself, can meet the moment.

We’re living under fascism now. Power is not listening. It’s consolidating, silencing, and escalating. And we can’t afford to act like peaceful tactics alone will save us.