“Sin is when you treat people like things”*

Sweeping up people like they are trash, “humanely relocating” people as if they were a nuisance animal…treating people like things.

But what counts as sin in the church of money and power where our leaders worship?

Some voters, like tiny house resident Harold Odom, who hasn’t had permanent housing in about 13 years, says Harrell’s approach to homelessness so far has been “aggressive” in the wrong ways.

For example, Odom says the swift clearing of an encampment across the street from City Hall in March indicates the mayor’s disregard for unhoused people.

“That block was cleared so he didn’t have to see it,” Odom said. “But people are hurt and crying out for help and dying on the street and Mayor Harrell doesn’t give a hoot.”

“If you put people out of sight, they’re out of mind.”

* The full quotation: “There’s no greys, only white that’s got grubby. I’m surprised you don’t know that. And sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That’s what sin is.’
‘It’s a lot more complicated than that -’
‘No. It ain’t. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they’re getting worried that they won’t like the truth. People as things, that’s where it starts.