Great thanks to the congregation of Trinity Cathedral Church for giving my homeless friends refuge from the cold and rain during many nights this winter - inside your beautiful church!
You have allowed many to escape from a night of misery. It is certainly a welcomed and kind and merciful thing. I only wish it was all as simple as that.
Unhappily, the particular group Trinity Cathedral has partnered with in its merciful endeavor has a Dark Side. Safe Ground, a nonprofit of not-fully-disclosed legal status, has national political ambitions, associated with its so-called "Safe Ground Movement," which is linked to the goals of the League of Revolutionaries for a New America [LRNA], a group that was formerly the California Communist League. [At the website American Red Groups, LRNA is cited as being Stalinist and, of communist and communist-leaning groups, one of the ones most opposed to Democracy.]
Safe Ground began in Sacramento from an effort called "Homeless Leadership Project" by an organization called SHOC. Homeless people were recruited, ego-stroked and indoctrinated with a philosophy that calls for a revolution in America that would put an end to capitalism; would guarantee jobs for all; and stop advancements in technology.
Hardcopy issues of People's Tribune [peoplestribune.org], a newspaper published by the League of Revolutionaries for a New America were passed out at SHOC / Safe Ground meetings. While being careful not to deploy "the C word," the fantasy of an egalitarian utopia was offered as a vision of a new world homeless people could hope to play a part in creating. At one of the meetings I attended, Cathleen Williams read and was enthusiastic about an article in PT's August issue, "Revolutionaries Must Rally the People to a Vision of a New World."
Cathleen Williams of SHOC (unofficially) and the Mark Merin law firm has been front and center in the recruitment and indoctrination of homeless people in Sacramento. You will find that she is the author of many articles in People's Tribune, including "Homeless People are Not Alone" in the February, 2010, issue.
At a day-long "Homeless Power Forum" held at Loaves & Fishes' Delany Center last October, Ethel Long-Scot, from the League's bureau, Speakers for a New America, was a co-keynote speaker. Paul Boden of WRAP, Western Regional Advocacy Project, was the other speaker. Both advanced the supposed ideal of a revolution in America to end capitalism; guarantee jobs for all; and stop technological advancement.
A large contingent from Safe Ground marched in San Francisco on January 20 to protest the Obama Administration and demand housing. John Kraintz, SG's putative leader, spoke during a rally, castigating government workers and demanded an array of supposed rights homeless people have. Kraintz is committed to remaining homeless and not accepting regular employment.
Enough! Homeless World Sacramento has been "captured" in great part by a looney-tunes fringy and frightening political movement. Please, please do not support it; Support the majority of homeless people who don't want to live the rest of their lives on the dole (or without freedom and democracy). The League of Revolutionaries IS NOT a liberal or progressive organization; it is blatantly totalitarian.
PLEASE VISIT SACRAMENTO HOMELESS BLOG,
FOR LINKS THAT PROVE THE CLAIMS IN THIS FLIER.
- Signed: Tom Armstrong, Sacramento Homeless blog [ sacramentohomeless.blogspot.com ]
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