Cops find Man, Girl living in Forest Park

[utopian]

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/108505469029050.xml

Goes to show that not all Portland cops are heartless.

<snip>
After an extensive search, police located the pair the next day hiding a short distance from an elaborate camp dug into a steep hillside. Under a tarp-covered, wood-framed shelter, they found sleeping bags, a partially burnt log, a stack of old World Book Encyclopedias, rakes and other tools. A rope swing, a tilled vegetable garden and a small creek were nearby.

The man and girl told police they had lived in the park for four years. Police were amazed to find them clean, well-fed and healthy. They said the 12-year-old girl was well-spoken beyond her years.

<snip>

Within 48 hours, instead of leaving them at a shelter or with state authorities, Barkley found the man a job and a place for the two to live on a friend's horse farm in Yamhill County. They've been living in a mobile home for the past two weeks, getting used to heat, electricity and running water -- something they said they learned to survive without.

<snip

[freetobegay]

1. Thanks for a feel good story!

We haven't had to many of those lately.

[seabeyond]

2. thissssss..........

does my heart good. thank you for sharing

[DulceDecorum]

3. That is

just about the first nice cop story I have heard in YEARS.
Thanks for sharing.

[jpgray]

4. Wow, Barkley's actions are what civil service is all about (nt)

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. There is however a sad part, - the man is a Veteran -

.
.
.

From the posted Article:

The man said his name was Frank. He told police he was a 53-year-old Marine Corps veteran and college graduate who served in Vietnam. He said he came to Oregon from Tacoma without a job and virtually no money. Frank told police that the girl's mother was institutionalized in New Hampshire, where his daughter was born, and the two now lived on a $400-a-month disability check.
_____________________________________________________________

It amazes me how many of the US's vets get lost after they've "done their duty" serving their country.

Shameful, friggen shameful

I hope their luck holds and some pencil-pusher in Veteran's Affairs doesn't figure out some way to persecute them.

(sigh)

[utopian]

6. Maybe that's why the cop helped him

Then again, there are a lot of homeless vets in Portland, so who knows?

[TrogL]

7. Wish the weather up here would support that

I'm just about ready to go homeless.

[redqueen]

8. How many other kids spend four years of their childhood on the streets?

This breaks my heart. I'm happy this girl and her dad managed to luck into finding a place for them to have a decent life, but I can't help but keep in mind all those others who aren't so lucky.

From 8 years old till 12, she was living in a shanty, with no heat, running water, or a bed to lay in at night.

Why are so many forgotten? Why do so many lust for war, posessions, and unending distraction, while our brothers and sisters live this way?

:cry:

[uncle ray]

9. i dunno

i get the impression they were doing "fine" where they were, considering the circumstances.

the man is obviously not your average homeless person, looks like he was making quite an effort to raise his daughter well, as detached from society as they could.

read how they were "persuaded" to leave the camp, they wanted to stay. dare i say, the way they were living, $400 probably took care of them fairly well. more of us should learn from them.

[redqueen]

10. Give me a break

Have you ever been homeless? I have.

The most likely reason they didn't want to leave is because it's considered shameful to accept charity. They now live off someone else's good graces. Which is fine, but in our society, there's a stigma associated with that, and now they will have to deal with *that*.

You say they were 'fine'. What are the average low temperatures during winter in Portland?

Try a few weeks on the streets, and tell me how much you think you learned from it. I dare ya.

[Paranoid_Portlander]

14. 33 degrees...

... is the average overnight low in January here. But we had a severe cold snap this year with temps down to 17, combined with 35 mph winds and 6 inches of snow on the ground. It must have been very painful for them.

[uncle ray]

18. yes, as a matter of fact i have been.

the point is they weren't "lucky" in being found, they weren't saved from themselves. i doubt they hike two miles into the woods to be "found". what is indecent about living in a primitave shelter? i seem to recall the people who settled this country did the same thing, they did fine. it doesn't take much to stay warm in a shelter built into the side of a hill. i come from minnesota, i know what fucking COLD WEATHER is!

don't assume because you had it rough that nobody else has.

there are a lot details not included in the story, and just enough included that lead me to beleive this was a very intelligent man and daughter, he was looking out for her interests. maybe the man was smart for doing everything he can to avoid the trap of our welfare system? he takes his daughter to church regularly, look at the meaning of the swastikas, here is a man who KNOWS the ORIGINAL meaning of them, you think maybe he doesn't like being stigmatized for his knowledge of such things?

i've learned from my time not having a home, i've learned from my time not having a job. i've learned to live modest, and to educate myself. having a job and a trailer isn't necessarily better than living in the woods.

i'll give you a break if you save your anger for a freeper disruptor or *.

[redqueen]

21. Were you homeless as a *child*?

This child was subject to her father's wishes wrt her living conditions. I assume you know how hard it is for a child who is abused to tell on their parents.

If this story had been about an adult, I would not have reacted as I did.

If an adult wants to live off the land as a homeless person, whatever... but you can't seriously tell me that this child has made a decision to do this and likes it.

In fact, I find the proposition preposterous.

[uncle ray]

22. now you want me to tell how bad my childhood was?

geez. it was plenty bad. bad enough that i would see living in the woods as a viable and acceptable alternative. my parents tried to do what they thought was right, but they too fell short, thanks for reminding me.

i don't know what to say if you think the idea of raising a child outside of society norms is preposterous.

lets ask the girl when she is an adult which was worse, living in the woods with the father she loved, or being ridiculed in public schools?

[redqueen]

23. No, I didn't ask that

I asked if you were homeless as a child.

I was, and for the very reasons you seem to be alluding to. I left. Couldn't take it anymore. Yes, it may have been somewhat better than staying there, but in all honesty, I do regret it sometimes.

It is not that I think raising a child outside of societal norms is preposterous. I think that having a child outside with no heat in freezing weather is preposterous. That child should not be subjected to the possibility of freezing to death if it's at all avoidable, and it is. There is a tremendous amount of empty real estate, which could be used as shelter for the homeless -- but it's not. Why? Reagan made it so that the landlords could recoup their rent losses via tax writeoffs.

Not only that, but Section 8 funding for poor families to get rent vounchers is being cut.

A child that age is not able to legally say that she wants to live outside in the wilderness... sure, we can check back with her in 10 years to see what she thinks about her childhood then, but that's nonsense. The fact is that she should be protected from the possibility of freezing to death or whatever other harm could come to her because she has no access to the comforts most of us take for granted.

[prolesunited]

13. Does it help you sleep better at night

to believe that most of the homeless people are on the streets by choice? No, we don't have to do anything about homelessness and poverty. Those people *want* to live that way — "detached from society," as you would say.

If you're so sure they were doing "fine," would you want to trade places with them?

Hey, just think, a few more years with these neocons at the helm more of us will be able to learn how to survive like this firsthand.

There is absolutely NO reason why ANY of our citizens should be living in third world conditions.

[uncle ray]

19. you got it wrong

i DON"T think that, these are not typical homeless people. maybe you missed the part where they're NOT living in the streets.

what is third world about living in a primitave shelter in the woods?

and i would have no problem trading places with them, i am really disappointed that i don't know more survival skills than i do, it would do me good to live like that. we may NEED those skills soon. i think we agree that american society is the failure here, not this man, so why the need to feel pity for him. i respect him.

[SemperEadem]

15. and Memorial Day is just around the corner

wonder how vets will be remembered?

[kaitykaity]

11. Portland cops NEED this in the worst way.

They have shot and killed two unarmed black people
in the last six months or so. One woman, Kendra James,
and a man (don't remember his name). Grand juries
have cleared both officers.

[utopian]

12. And that's just the most recent stuff

Some of us are old enough to remember the "Don't Choke 'Em, Smoke 'Em" scandal in the early 80s, as well as a lot of other stuff.

[Eloriel]

16. And they haven't done so well with some of the anti-bush

and anti-war protests, either.

[Cleita]

17. Nice story.

When I was living in the woods, I ran into many homeless families living in the wilderness. Often they had an old truck with a camper they called home and did seasonal work were they could find it. It was far better than living on the streets and in rural communities, they were more likely to get a helping hand especially when there were children involved.

[CityZen-X]

20. Disconnect From Civilization

Seems to me that they were doing well enough. Being removed from what we call civilization may not be a disadvantage. There are many pluses then negatives in my opinion. I have often day dreamed of such a withdrawal myself. The only thing that stops me is my bitter halves need to be close to a mall!
Daniel Quinn has led me into these day dreams.