[Street] [Ob-media] Open Letter draft 1
allison at occupyboston.org
allison at occupyboston.org
Fri Nov 25 12:34:24 EST 2011
I maintain that it's a human rights violation. Denying people the
ability to survive the cold is denying them what it takes to sustain
life. I'm sure someone else could state this more eloquently.
One note: this letter assumes people support the idea of the camp and
would be outraged at the attempts to undermine it. I wonder if it
would be beneficial to open the letter with an affirmation as to why
the Occupy Movement is profoundly important (creating magnetic centers
for public discourse which is not mediated by corporate interests
which have corrupted every aspect of our society to the point at which
the planet and the people are not sustainable; the right to peaceable
assembly, etc.) and why sustainability of the encampment is still key
to building the movement and generating a new system of communication
and self-governance.
Quoting Z Bowditch <zthetop at yahoo.com>:
> Here's the first draft. Feel free to suggest edits and ideas:
>
>
> There is more to closing a tent city than tearing down the tents.
> Here at Occupy Boston, we are facing a crisis as winter sets in.
> Due to a city restriction on tent building and insulation supplies,
> it is becoming increasingly difficult to move our summer outdoor
> spaces into enclosed warm ones in preparation for cold New England
> weather.
>
> Among the restrictions placed on Occupy Boston by the city is that
> insulation of any kind is not to be brought into the camp. The city
> cited sanitation concerns as the main reason for this ban, and has
> even turned away people bringing donations of clothing and blankets.
> What I believe the city does not understand is that insulating
> tents is only one aspect of making them winter ready. I have been
> working closely with the group that has been designing and planning
> winter ready tents. Most designs that have been seriously discussed
> involve multiple ways of insulating a space, including foam
> insulation filled PVC, bricks of insulation board as the core for a
> yurt, and many other multi-layered designs.
>
> What I would like to stress is that the supplies we would use are
> identical to those found in modern construction and insulation. We
> aren’t just trying to line tents with cheap insulation materials,
> where they could pose dangers to sleepers and gatherers. We are
> designing and preparing to build structurally sound and carefully
> planned tents that can be easily broken down when the need for them
> is done. We are not planning to build permanent structures. That
> was never the goal.
>
> As a Red Cross trained first responder and life guard, the inability
> of Occupy Boston to build these sorts of structures is a pressing
> safety issue. Many of our protesters spend long periods of time
> outside, both at Dewey Square and during marches and speeches, and
> without proper spaces to get warm and stay warm there can be serious
> medical repercussions. Hypothermia and frostbite are not serious
> conditions unto themselves, but without prompt treatment, they can
> lead to hospitalization, limb amputation, and even death. If Occupy
> Boston is not allowed to create and build warm spaces, Occupying
> poses a very real danger to all involved.
>
> I ask that the city and Mayor Menino to understand and respect that
> it is vital to the safety of all of us to have safe warm spaces this
> winter, and to open a dialogue on how we can move forward safely and
> respectfully
>
> Z Bowditch
>
> Winterization Work Group
> Occupy Boston
>
>
> Z
> zthetop at yahoo.com
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In solidarity,
Allison
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