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Street roots Aug. 1, 2014 P H O T O B Y C A M E R O N T R IM B L E Actress a n d activist S usa n sarandon testifies before Congress in support o f a proposed piece o f legislation to include people experiencing homelessness as a protected class under the Hate Crimes Statistics Act. Report on violence against the homeless draws star power before Congress BY RACHEL CAIN important steps to ending homelessness is to help people who are housed understand scar award-winner Susan Sarandon and identify with the homeless population. may be most famous for her roles in “Kids don’t develop empathy without “Thelma & Louise,” “Dead Man education,” she said. “There’s a Walking,” and, of course, the cult-classic misconception that people on the street “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” However, her want the easy life, that they don’t want to , work and commitment extend far beyond work.” her achievements on the silver screen. She’s She hopes that a new documentary film, also a strong activist for numerous causes, “Storied Streets,” directed by her son Jack including homelessness. Henry Robbins and produced by Thomas “I have always been very aware of people Morgan, will enable the public to who are not housed,” Sarandon explained. understand the complexities of Growing up in New York City, she often homelessness and the challenges homeless saw homeless people living on the streets, people face every day-she says it certainly which compelled her to begin her advocacy made her more aware of the realities of work for the homelessness. homeless. For years, “They go across the Sarandon has been U.S. and debunk " I t Is time far Coagress fa involved with the myths of how people act. We eaa't allow these National Coalition for hecome homeless,” p e o p le fa be invisible any the Homeless. She’s Sarandon explained. also volunteered with laager." “It makes the face of I H ACTRESS SUSAN SARANDON Habitat for Humanity the unhoused specific ' - T E S T IF Y IN G B E FO R E C O N G R E S S and has helped out at and human. There are a soup kitchen for so many ways to end more than two up on the street even decades. Somehow, if you’re working two she has always found ways to juggle her jobs. People are on the precipice constantly. advocacy work while acting in Hollywood I hope the film redefines for people what homelessness is.” productions. “I’m in chaos all the time,” she smiled. “If Homelessness is for thousands a reality Sarandon says she almost “can’t bear the I can usé my media connections to shine a thought of.” light on those who are voiceless, that’s the “Home means so much to me,” she point.” expressed. “I can’t imagine not having a Sarandon relies deeply upon her store of place to be clean, to be safe.” empathy to imagine the lives of the Recently, Sarandon lent her voice before characters she plays in films. Similarly, she Congress. believes empathy is one of the reasons why “It is time for Congress to act,” she feels drawn to speak out for the emphasized Sarandon during a recent homeless. congressional briefing about violence against “If you can imagine yourself in that the homeless. “We can’t allow these people situation (of homelessness), you want to to be invisible any longer.” take action,” she said. “It’s an organic On June 25, U.S. Reps. Alcee Hastings natural flow.” (D-Fla.) and Eddie Bernice Johnson The actress believes that one of the most C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R B National Coalition for the Homeless’ Report on Crimes Against the Homeless in 2013 » In 2013,109 attacks against the homeless by housed perpetrators were recorded ■ The total number of attacks in 2013 represents an increase of 24 percent from 2012 ■ 85 percent of all perpetrators were under the age of 30 ■ 93 percent of all perpetrators were male ■ 65 percent of all victims were 40 years old or older . ■ 90 percent of all victims were male ■ 18 percent of the attacks resulted in death • a ■ I | | j | l | I 1 H 1 1 j j 1 H j : I ■ 2 recorded attacks involved fire ■ 5 recorded attacks were a result of police brutality Source: The National Coalition fo r the Homeless (D-Texas) cochaired a congressional briefing m support of a proposed piece of legislation to include the homeless as a protected class under the Hate Crimes Statistics Act. Sarandon, along with David Pirtle, a survivor of violence against the homeless, and Thomas Morgan, the co-director of a documentary about homelessness, testified during the briefing. Throughout her testimony, Sarandon stressed that sheltered members of society must recognize the humanity of homeless people in order to overcome their indifference toward a vulnerable population. “Congress is a proxy of society,” she said. “If society is apathetic, Congress will be, too.” s . Sarandon told the story of Carl Simon, a 50-year-old homeless man who was beaten, stabbed and tortured this past year. When his attackers realized he had not died they forced him into a large suitcase he used to carry his few possessions and then drowned him in a bathtub. “Carl Simon is one of the thousands we need to remember as we fight to protect those experiencing homelessness right now,” Sarandon said. David Pirtle, a member of the National Coalition for the Homeless’ (NCH) Speakers Bureau, described the unprovoked violence he experienced when homeless. He survived five attacks, including being beaten with baseball bats, being spray painted and being urinated on. “Most [attacks] are done just for fun,” Pirtle said. “I don’t understand how a person can do that and laugh.” c Although fatal attacks against the homeless occurred more than three times as often than those classified as hate crimes from 1999-2012, violence against the homeless is not considered a hate crime by the federal government. The proposed legislation, HR 1136: Violence against the Homeless Accountability Act, would amend the Hate Crime Statistics Act to make the federal government responsible for compiling data about crimes committed against homeless people. At the moment, the Hate Crime Statistics Act requires the Attorney General to collect information on crimes committed because of a victim’s race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or ethnicity. HR 1136 is sponsored by Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) and co-sponsored by 23 Other members of Congress, including one Republican, Ileana Ros-Lehtirien (R-Fla.). Since 2007, several efforts have been made for Congress to have crimes against the homeless included in the Hate Crimes Statistics Act. However, all these bills died in committee. Currently seven states and three cities recognize violence against the homeless as a hate crime. Opponents contend that homelessness should not be included as a protected class in the Hate Crime Statistics Act because homelessness is not a permanent condition, unlike the other classes protected in the Act An official from the Anti-Defamation League said in an interview with NPR that there needs to be a better definition of homelessness and an understanding of whether it is, like the other characteristics protected under hate crime laws, an unchangeable characteristic. “What is the definition of homeless? What is immutable about homeless? Is it an immutable characteristic? Is it exactly the same as race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender?” asked Michael Lieberman, the Washington counsel for the Anti-Defamation League. “It is different.” According to the NCH’s new report, “Vulnerable to Hate: A Survey of Hate Crimes & Violence Committed against the Homeless in 2013,” bias against the indigent drives many crimes against the homeless. Some crimes are opportunistic, a direct result of the vulnerability homeless people experience because they have no shelter for protection. The NCH only records crimes committed by housed perpetrators against homeless individuals in its report. “A hate crime is one of the most despicable and prejudicial acts done to another human being by a human being, and, surprisingly, these acts affect homeless people in great proportions,” wrote Congresswoman Johnson in an e-mail.“It is imperative that we give this issue the serious attention that it deserves by including homeless people in hate crime statistics.” Street News Service, In tern a tio n a l Network o f Street Papers
