Does homelessness equal no rights?

In downtown Iowa City, we see homelessness every day, yet it is uncommon for us to think about issues associated with class, such as the indifference and contempt that often accompanies how middle-class America views those without homes. This attitude is evident in the way this city has reacted to the police shooting of John Deng, a Sudanese man.

In news articles, Deng is reduced to “the homeless man” (never is it mentioned that he was one of the “lost boys” of Sudan), while others are given more reputable titles; the shooter, Terry Stotler, is “the on-duty sheriff's deputy,” while the instigator, John Bohnenkamp, is “the do-gooder Iowa City resident.” The word “resident” in contrast to Deng's “transience” is used in a battle of who-was-at-fault, and ends up defending Stotler's decision to shoot Deng. Does homelessness mean a person has no rights? Why are we refusing to examine this incidence of police violence?

There are many intersecting issues in this case, in which race, class, and residency all play a role, and which the news articles have conveniently left out of coverage. By residents' reactions, I fear these characteristics, particularly his homelessness, have been used as a way to forget about this injustice.

Please come to a community meeting on police accountability at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Iowa City Public Library.

Laura Kacere

Iowa City