While I would love to continue to believe that I can, I have learned that I simply cannot make enough people care about an issue like discriminatory bag policy. It is something that does not impact most people, so it is understandable that most people would not be concerned about it enough to sign a petition, or abolish the policy itself. 

I am absolutely disappointed but also very grateful for the opportunity that was presented through my discriminatory and dehumanizing experience. Since October 30th I have tried my best to advocate for innocent people in my community who deserve better than to be criminalized and wrongfully assumed to be too poor to pay. Through petitioning I have made a number of new connections and built a greater sense of community which makes up for the lack of accountability and reform from those in decision making positions within Opportunity Village. 

At the current rate of signatures, it does not appear that I will be able to acquire enough to be considered convincing to those at Opportunity Village who have chosen to overlook this petition in an ignorant and lazy defense of their socioeconomically discriminatory policy. It is truly disheartening to have worked this hard for it to be intentionally ignored by those within Opportunity Village's highest ranks, who will never and have never been on the receiving end of discrimination and prejudice.

Rather than genuinely working to address legitimate concerns of discrimination from nearly 200 petioning people, they have chosen to excuse and continue to rely on that discrimination to perform loss prevention. I have learned that you cannot shame the shameless into doing the right thing, and no matter what I say, how I say it, or how many signatures I obtain, it will never be enough to persuade Bob Brown, Amy Hunter, and the rest of the Opportunity Village Leadership gang to act with empathy, and abolish this policy.

Thank you all for your collective efforts and support in my attempt to make this change despite how small scale and inconsequential it may appear to be at first glance. You are greatly appreciated. ♥️

-Chauncey