Poor People United Indicts Bill Smith, Announce Nurses Solidarity Event

Today in front of City Hall, many of those who may become important to the process of social change from the Faith community such as Gail Mott, held a vigil and potluck in solidarity with those internationally fighting for their Human Rights. The events have been kept alive by candles annually.

As these candles were beginning to be lit

Charles Kellum a black formerly homeless man, addressed a slowly growing crowd. These are some of the few people who will listen, he said later. He described his own experience as a formerly homeless man in Rochester struggling to find warm a building kept open 24 hours along with his struggle for anyone to listen. For 3 years Poor People United (and the Poor Peoples Coalition before it), have taken the voices of the poor to County Legislature hoping our so called representatives would give us some empty building to shelter ourselves. We spoke about our freezing conditions right here in Rochester but found many deaf ears. Republican so-called Majority leader Bill Smith, in one instance, was reading a take out menu instead of listening to our members. Thursday Bill Smith unanimously and brazenly passed a budget that is a direct attempt at making more people poor. I call that a Human Rights Violation. He pointed to his poster. Its time we start putting faces on the people in our society who have the power to give us our rights but refuse to, and those who wont. Bill Smith is one of those who wont. Hes an enemy of the poor, therefore he is an enemy of Poor People United.

Charles introduced PPUs ally shelter worker, Jessica Chapman, by saying Many
Catholic Workers are among the few people who will talk about ending poverty, and live in solidarity with those who are experiencing it. Shes one of the first people to see potential in me, but Im committed to growing so that she wont be the last.

Jessica spoke testifying to the conditions of the poor in Rochester. The shelters are often full; often they turn freezing people away from their doors because they cant get government money for government-sanctioned people. Many of these so-called shelters dont believe the shelter they provide is a Human Right. St. Josephs House of Hospitality believes in Human Rights. No poor people should have to freeze to death because people like Bill Smith took their jobs away. I believe advocates of the poor should try to amplify the voices of the poor, not speak for them. All the poor in Rochester want right now is an warm building they can call their own to shelter themselves.

Poor People United then followed the religious community into the downtown United Presbyterian Church where they broke bread together.
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