Retracing a Donner Party path, nearly two centuries later (opens in new tab)

I enjoyed listening to my dad as a child, and found the story kinda disturbing, but only though a naïve kids eyes. He always ended the story with you kids are lucky you will never have to be in their situation.

It’s a horrid story, and we all feel for those pioneers. If we were there in that point in history, on east side of the Sierras, most of us would have done whatever we could to help those people. Just like the rescuers on the south side, whom risked their lives to rescue the settlers.

Jump ahead two 200 years.

Why do we now basically just complain about the ever expanding homeless populations that are getting bigger by the day.

Authorities, besides Neusom, seem more indifferent to their needs now. The help they offer is keeping them away from us in case they have Covid.

We complain over crap on the sidewalk, but society doesn’t even bother to put up a chamber pot in reasonable walking distance. I can’t find a restroom I can use most days, and I try to always look like I’m a fancy boy making big bucks.

We give them some change, but turn around and complain to the authorities when on the computer.

We watch cops abuse them, with this “crack in the window pane theory”, but say nothing, nor even think it’s wrong. (In San Rafael, I saw a lady sit on the curb. Cops on bikes, and cruisers, bum rushed her, aggressively questioned her, emptied her purse on the sidewalk, and then took a picture of her. They then left while she grabbed the wet tampons from the gutter. Cops are doing this, in order to make people move on. Ironically, she didn’t look homeless. I’m waiting until they do this to the wrong person. The disheveled Lawyer we all know.)

We complain if a help center is remotely near where we live.

We subconsciously seem to blame them for their situation, and justify our reasons for blaming them.

Right now—I see tents being put up under 101, after being evacuated aggressively by Caltrans, a few months ago. (I still don’t understand the legality of this. It’s state land, and there’s no shelter spots most nights. (Recent Supreme Court decision.)

Homeless campers are in Dunphy Park because Sausalito decided they didn’t want Anchorouts in Richardson Bay. (They keep their camp sites clean, and orderly, and there’s no crime. They have a communal dining table. In other words—they are not drug fueled screaming banshees authorities like to claim.) Anchor-outs that have been there forever, but now they are disturbing the Eel Grass. Oh yea, the wealthy Yachties can anchor in humongous crafts in the same spot for weeks without the authorities batting an eye. The homeless in the park got a temporary reprieve through a court order, but that will end, and it’s never in the homeless favor. (The city offered a horrid muddy toxic piece of land they want them on temporarily, with a long list of rules, and regulations. One rule is tents must be put in a box by 7, or 8 am? Problem is some are old, disabled, with arthritis, etc. and breaking down the camp site so early is not reasonable. Plus—they need somewhere to sit, and lay, during the day. Loitering, and sleeping, anywhere on public Sausalito land are subject to fines.)

Yes—the pioneers were different, but basically homeless.

The pioneers didn’t have laws, and regulations, that made living without a steady income, and home, illegal.

Many pioneers had hope for a better life—-free, and cheap land, to keep their spirits up. The homeless have nothing to look foreword to, except waking up tomorrow without a black eye, or an aggressive cop.

I don’t know of any place in the USA that one can realistically live without a home, and regular income.

I didn’t use question marks because I don’t feel like debating. I know it’s a Complicated problem. I just find it amusing how we blame/curse our people in need, but lionize a pioneer party.

We have come so far spiritually, and compassionately, in 200 years? Again don’t want to debate.