Re: Bad reporting Hazards to Homeless article

On Sat, 13 Apr 2024 14:03:55 -0000 (UTC)
"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

Uptown viaduct fire reminder of hazards to homeless: 'There really is
no peace'
By Caroline Kubzansky and Rebecca Johnson
Chicago Tribune
April 13, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/13/uptown-viaduct-fire-reminder-of-hazards-to-homeless-there-really-is-no-peace/
 
Despite the headline, we learn IN THE THIRD PARAGRAPH that the hazard
in question to other homeless people was from a homeless woman who,
with either reckless disregard or murderous intent, set her own tent
on fire, which led to all the other tents catching fire fire. Note
that one of the homeless men interviewed stated that the area under
the viaduct is usually fried, so there are fires set repeatedly.

"The area under the viaduct is usually fried": what exactly does that
mean? I assume that the area isn't literally fried but I'm not sure what
euphemism you're attempting here.

 
That headline was misleading, and I'd say who set the fire should have
been stated in the first paragraph.
 
In paragraph six, the murder of a well-known homeless man (who walked
without disturbing others rather than just sitting in a doorway) was
conflated. But the crime against him was attempted murder by someone
who was not homeless; he was set on fire while sleeping. It became a
murder as he later died of injuries sustained.
 
This was just bad reporting entirely. The danger from homeless
encampments under viaducts is that one or more individuals will set
fires, and fires spread. Gee. Fires can even destroy viaducts. Maybe
allowing "permanent" encampments once people start fires is
horrifically bad public policy.

There was a major fire in a homeless encampment close to the Kitchener
and Cambridge boundary. It's a miracle there weren't some
fatalities. There's a homeless encampment in Kitchener that is very
close to the transit hub that is supposed to be built that has serious
problems with rats. The residents have also done significant property
damage to nearby businesses. The city and region have tried to evict
them but when it went to court, the judge was persuaded that the
residents couldn't be evicted because it violated their rights under
the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That case now serves as a precedent
for the whole country making it hard to do much about homeless
encampments.

Three cheers for our bleeding-heart activist judges: fooey! fooey!
fooey!
--
Rhino