NOVEMBER 3, 2023 RESISTANCE Talking truth to power Those words ring a bell in many-aheart that aspire to freedom and justice. When I wrote “The People Are the Power,” I was referring to labor power which is put on the auction block and sold to investors in the bureaucratic chain of command. You get wages based on what the market can bear and investors are at the head of the trough in a feeding frenzy. There is a collective ruling class that is dedicated to maximizing return on investment. Anything goes if it makes the profit they feel entitled to. The supremacism of those who speculate on our labor power has a degree of arrogance that is threatening all life on the planet. I saw a bumper sticker recently that read: “EARTH FIRST, WE CAN DESTROY THE OTHER PLANETS LATER! Of course, the moon is a base on the way to Mars. If you look at the accumulation of power at the top of the chain of command it may look invincible, unless you remember that selling your labor makes you a wage slave. If your work serves other people’s projects in which you have no voice, you are being exploited and oppressed by the class warfare that defines capitalism. insecure are likely to be looking at and/or experiencing homelessness. “Home free” as they say in Seattle. Groundcover News is an important KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 Therefore, our collective work builds the war machine that plagues humanity. Divide and conquer is the war game. Tyrants and oligarchs are cultivated or destroyed depending on the commodity market and the profiteering obsessive-compulsive disorder. Is it a cancer or a vampire that uses our vital energy to pursue endless war? Life source energy gives birth to human beings and the ability to work,which is commonly known as labor power. I prefer the expression “the all good expanse of primordial purity” when referring to the source. Self-determination starts with taking responsibility for the results of your labor. Those of us who are financially voice from the street as we learn to tell the truth as we experience it and focus on the corruption of power as it goes up the chain of command to those seeking unlimited power. The gods of capital are impermanent. We know from science that everything is in motion and is interrelated in a way characterized as impermanent. Death is our constant companion, reminding us that all actions have results and a happy death comes from constant preparation to develop a courageous heart and wise compassion. Most of us are beginners and are fortunate to have access to a variety of spiritual friends. Choose them carefully and take them to heart. Nalandabodhi is a good place to tune in. Search that and explore. We have learned that peace of mind does not come from the absence of struggle, but from absence of confusion and uncertainty. We can develop engaged struggle as the path to peace and justice. Whatever arises is reality in this moment. Every crisis is an opportunity to look into the void as it stares back at you. If you become accustomed to the void while focusing on the breath and detaching from distractions, you may experience the clear light nature, at least some sense of the natural world at peace with itself. I am thinking out loud about things I have not mastered, but I hope the intention to experience the power of truth and benefit all life comes to fruition with abilities we can share as we learn about freedom and our innate power to benefit self and others. Practice makes perfect, so let’s start wherever we are and aim for complete enlightenment. “Ye shall know the truth and the truth will set you free,” as Jesus taught. Not all truth tellers are crucified but do not be surprised if the inquisition comes to your door. Remember Thich Nhat Hanh who said, “Meditate on your worst enemy until you see yourself in them.” Then you, too, can speak truth to power in a way that shows the power of the truth and the great going beyond that leaves nothing behind. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 9 SHELTER from page 5 not sure if they are even really there.” Routinely sleeping less than seven hours per night can be harmful to health. It lowers immune function, increases chronic pain and raises the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and death. For homeless people battling mental health challenges, addiction and past trauma, rest and recovery are essential to getting back on their feet. CASS staff have tried to create healthier sleep spaces, such as dorms that remain dark, quiet and cool at all times. Priority access goes to people with jobs. These sections can house only about a third of CASS’s residents, leaving others to sleep in dorms where there is more noise and light. More supportive spaces Simply feeding people and providing them with places to sleep is a major challenge for shelters in cities where homelessness is rising. But some have found ways to think more broadly. In San Diego, Father Joe’s Villages, a nonprofit network with a central campus and scattered-site programs, houses more than 2,000 people nightly. San Diego’s more temperate climate makes it less urgent to maximize the number of people they shelter indoors, so staff at Father Joe’s can use its decentralized design to create shelters with private and quiet spaces. The Father Joe’s network includes multiple smaller-scale facilities where clean bathrooms are easily accessible and homeless people can use basic amenities like laundry and storage. One example is Mary’s Place, a collection of diverse shelters that provides emergency and long-term support in smaller facilities modeled after the simplicity and comfort of a home. People experience less stress and can more easily navigate the challenge of ending their own homelessness when they can get a restful night’s sleep in a quiet environment, with spaces that allow them some privacy. We are encouraged to see other U.S. shelters moving in this direction — but there’s a long way to go. Steps toward better design To address the lack of privacy at CASS, we have proposed subdividing the day room into more private spaces to accommodate activities like online telehealth appointments, counseling and job interviews. To tackle the longterm impacts of overcrowding, we also have recommended introducing sanitation amenities, such as laundry facilities, “hot boxes” to sanitize clothing and bedding, more bathroom facilities and reliable trash removal to reduce the spread of infection and pests such as bedbugs and lice. For new facilities, designers could consider small changes, such as increased storage and more diligent regulation of temperature, light and noise. Hospitals, nursing homes and retirement communities have found many ways in recent decades to use design to support patients’ health. Many of the same concepts can be applied to emergency shelters and help turn these facilities from institutional warehouses into spaces of health and opportunity. Natalie Florence is a Ph.D. candidate in humanitarian design and infrastructure studies at Arizona State University. Heather Ross is a clinical associate professor in nursing and clinical associate professor at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University. Courtesy of The Conversation / International Network of Street Papers
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