

20 Ways to not be a Gentrifier in Oakland - memset
http://oaklandlocal.com/2014/01/20-ways-to-not-be-a-gentrifier-in-oakland-community-voices/

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j2kun
> 2\. Recognize all the people outside of your door as your neighbors, even if
> they look different from you and live under different circumstances. This
> includes the homeless who sleep on the street, the drug dealers who sell
> outside the liquor store, and the prostitutes walking your streets. Replace
> the words homeless, drug dealer, and prostitute with the word neighbor.
> Treating these folks with respect and dignity from the beginning will give
> you later leverage to talk to them about changing their behavior and getting
> out of the life.

Wait what? Yes they're your "neighbors," but for an article against
gentrification it's suggesting you should be telling people to change their
behavior. (Not to mention drug-dealing and prostitution are crimes! Don't we
have the police to deal with that? The onus shouldn't be on people who just
want to get a good night's sleep!)

