[Street] [Ob-media] Open Letter draft 1
Deborah Sirotkin Butler
amberpaw at gmail.com
Fri Nov 25 12:16:45 EST 2011
*See proposed additions or edits in blue. Deborah Sirotkin Butler*
On Fri, Nov 25, 2011 at 12:01 PM, Z Bowditch <zthetop at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Here's the first draft. Feel free to suggest edits and ideas:
>
>
> *Constructive eviction of (*There is more to closing) a tent city *can
> occur)* (than tearing) *without 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.
>
> () T) (t)he supplies Occupy Boston (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,water tight, dry spaces, Occupying poses a very real danger to
> all involved. *Again, direct interference with maintaining safe, dry,
> climate-appropriate temporary structures constitutes constructive eviction.
> *
>
> 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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