Dan Lane

Recent Activity

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  Dan signed the petition | 4 months ago

  Stop the newest attack on Planned Parenthood
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  Dan signed the petition | 4 months ago

  NYPD: Train Your Cops to Blame Rapists for Rape, Not Victims!
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  Dan signed the petition | almost 2 years ago

  Pass Legislation to Get Corporate Money Out of Politics
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  Dan signed the petition | almost 2 years ago

  Stop the Rape and Abuse of Women Worldwide
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  Dan signed the petition | almost 2 years ago

  Urge Discovery Communications to Drop Sarah Palin's New Show
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  Dan commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  The Mayor of the Shelter

  Hi SlumJack-
  
  Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. I hope folks read your post, because I believe whatever I have to say can't be a substitute for those who have actually experienced homelessness.
  
  My intent was certainly not to suggest that these examples are a LIMITATION of what homeless people are, but rather beautiful demonstration of how, through the chaos of their situation, groups of homeless people form their own communities, independent of the bureaucracy that control their lives. I would argue that this way of thinking about the homeless is neither stereotypical nor stigmatizing... but instead a way to realize that these people are functioning adults, with abilities and dreams beyond their "homelessness" (a word which has often come to characterize their whole life).
  
  My main point is that the guests at our shelter are really the experts. They know where things are, they know the rules, they maintain their own enironment. And you're correct 100%... these abilities are "simplistic"... and it's a shame that we are so surprised at these communities. I hope that begins to change. Once we listen to the stories of folks like you, we start to realize that the experiences of 1000 lifetimes exist in those who find themselves without shelter.
  
  When the city shut the last drop-in center all of our former guests were found living together behind the boat house in central park. The miracle to me isn't that these people "figured out" how to depend on themselves, it's that they valued their community higher than relocating to another shelter. We need to recognize those abilities for what they are.... human and respect everyones rights to be who they are.
  
  Thanks for your thoughts, they are always appreciated.