by Travis Mateer
Remember the beginning of summer when famous author, Stephanie Land, threatened City Council because she thought the ordinance ALLOWING urban camping didn’t go far enough? That was at the beginning of my OWN episode of homelessness, and when I called in my comment that night, I had parked my home beneath the Higgins bridge.
When the cop came to inform me that my spot was on PRIVATE property I avoided a ticket by leaving and not returning because, had I returned, I would have been charged with trespassing. Unlike Amy Swope, I wasn’t TRYING to get arrested for trespassing.
The reason why Land and her literary threat popped into my head is because my episode of homelessness ended, so now I’m at the stage of unpacking books, like this signed copy of MAID.
When you look at what this book is about, it says HARD WORK, LOW PAY, AND A MOTHER’S WILL TO SURVIVE. Yes, that WILL TO SURVIVE is a strong one, and may be the thing that kicked in when some folks in Missoula felt the need to RUN from a homeless man.
Here’s the story, which I came across on Reddit in case Mayor Bloomberg Davis wants to add this platform to her navigation strategy for Missoula’s information landscape:
The next story has even MORE fun and exciting adventure in it, like being told you’re gonna get raped and killed. Does Stephanie Land support urban campers telling local women they are going to be raped and killed?
Does Stephanie Land believe people should be able to walk in public spaces without feeling threatened? Or would she just dismiss this as privileged people without her gritty background complaining because they don’t understand the unique culture of urban campers?
One member of that culture, according to another anecdote from Reddit, dared a politically incorrect writer like myself to call him animal. Why? This is why:
Up north, the out-of-state lawyer from the INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE is helping the warming center litigate against a municipality because I guess there’s a constitutional right at stake or something (emphasis mine):
A federal judge has granted the Flathead Warming Center’s request for a hearingon an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order.
The hearing will is scheduled to take place on October 25, 2024, at 9 a.m. in federal court in Missoula.
“The witness testimony and legal argument will explain to the Court why an order is needed allowing the Flathead Warming Center to remain open while this case is litigated, a process that can take years,” said Jeff Rowes, a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice. “When constitutional rights are at stake and there is a threat to life and limb, courts regularly stop the government from doing harmful things like shutting down a homeless shelter while a case is pending.”
Speaking as a citizen journalist who continues to experience significant retaliation for the work I’m doing EXPOSING the Homeless Industrial Complex instead of unquestioningly enabling it, the Constitution is less useful than toilet paper because toilet paper at least protects my skivvies from skid marks, while the Constitution is just a quaint notion lawyers get paid to take shits on these days. Prove me wrong, Jeff Rowe!
With the cold and rain and immediate suspension of my driver’s license in effect because I told vampires NO to their desire for my blood, I’m grateful to be moving indoors, something I wouldn’t be able to do without the financial help of my father, so thanks Pops.
And thanks to everyone who sees and supports the work I’m doing. Not all support is monetary, but that’s the kind I am currently most in need of, so if you’re able, Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF) is the way to do it.
Thanks for reading!
