The $2.00 official OR MORE SUGGESTED DONATION ChallengerChallengerstreet newspaper October 2016 Vol 6, Issue 6 A newspaper that matters (63rd issue) www.challengernewspaper.org [email protected] A Free Press 95% H OMELESS WRITERS CONTENTS ARE COPYRIGHTED , INSIDE PO Box 151574 Austin, TX 78715 512-560-4735 Voice Of The People NO USE W/O PERMISSION ART By Rana Ghana 1 Join Our Gang 1 By Trinity Staff 2 Ads/Ad rates Announcements Safe Sleep 3 A Capitol Part 8 Final 4 By Scott Hoft R Gone Home Letter to 5 Christian By Dee Slavery By Any Other Name 6 T By Marcilas Reprinted from Dec 2015 BY RANA HANA Thought Experiments 7 G By Rambo KoolAid’s Drag Update 7 Jail Mail By CNP Homeless Soulmate 7 OIN J By Emmy Town Lake Angel Literary By John Curran 8 OUR ART By Sally Guevara 8 Distributors Wanted , Lap- 9 GANG tops, Tent City PHOTO BY 10-11 Resource Directory Cntr TRINITY Pull out, Subscriber Form, Challenger Code STAFF Critical Thinking 12 By The Gadfly My Personal Experience 12 By Kennilou Taylor PROFESSIONAL HOMELESS QUALIFICATIONS When Your Friends Live 12 Outside By Courtney Y IRATE OE EPRINTED FROM EB EDITED B P J R F 2016 13 Let’s Get More Started By Jenn Theone Aside from being judged by the shallow, ignorant and blind, think about this a bit: who ART By Zebra 13 would be scared to hire anyone who puts homeless on a job application as a unique and Distributer Locations 14 extreme educational experience? It is more real than school, any school. This is fact, and not ART By Rana Ghana 14 opinion. Example: if schools actually benefitted the community, poverty at best wouldn’t exist, 15 and at worst, poverty would be highly respected, approachable, and genuinely intriguing. Ask A Homeless By Jeff Tydeman Did you know, Benjamin Franklin not only went through a homeless period in his youth, but throughout his It Was A Party! 15 life he also had a ritual practice of getting himself back in touch with poverty, in order to test his resolve before he By Jenn Theone made some of his decisions? 15 During Benjamin Franklin’s printing press and journalist days, he not only printed but personally wrote both Doing The Most Good By Mary A Psst controversial and incendiary material. His frontline prototype practice of free press to facilitate free speech was Prison Strike 16 radical for its time. Frequently, Mr. Franklin would come home with the worry of whether or not to take a specific By Austin ABC article to print which might ruin him the following morning and how he would actually handle losing all he had. He Why Should I Pay For You? 17 drafted a self made man’s practical approach to face the real prospect of destitution with resolve. By TW-GHCE In one of the most pragmatic practices in practically facing possible destitution I’ve ever heard of (the only Financials 17 one I’ve ever heard of), on these particular evenings, whenever he was about to print something that “might cost Vote Cartoon 17 him everything,” Mr. Franklin would eat only bread, drink only water and sleep without a blanket on the wooden By TW-GHCE Detained On The Drag By 18 floor in his house. It never stopped him, only confirmed his resolve. Fred Pettit One of the most frequent and fearful side-mouthed sneers, “Get a job,” not only immediately identifies The Messages In Water 19 those who would throw every laughing friend walking with them under the bus to save their own unfortunate and Submitted By Indigo Tent City By ? 19 perpetual debt detention job (haha no bills on the street), but also identifies the one who hasn’t yet developed the empathy to notice the individual in front of them as a noble and Humanizing Our Enemies 20 Homeless Qualifications con’t pg 16 By Pastor Mark peaceful person who gave up everything. How progressive! It is physically Our Mission : To empower people in need with economic opportunity and have their viewpoints heard. This paper uplifts and gives information to our most under-represented people. It encourages responsibility and freedoms necessary to enhance our everyday life. The people we serve have a wealth of information to share with society. The paper contributes, informs, and connects diverse people from all walks of life. The challenge is to end poverty. October 2016 Page 2 Director and Editor: Valerie Romness Contributors: We provide food and clothing, and promote dignity, to Fred Pettit Jenn Theone John Curran Zebra Marcilas Austin ABC our homeless brothers and sisters in need Rana Ghana TW-GHCE Indigo Pastor Mark Jeff Tydeman Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Inc. is a social outreach Julian Reyes Clip Art used from MS Publisher Emmy Town Lake ministry for the homeless We use the Angel century gothic Mari A. Psst font cause it Join us in the feeding, the loving, and the helping of those among us in need. Pirate Joe uses the least Scott Hoft amount of ink. Dee 95% Street Rambo Reporters SINCE 1998 www.mlf.org The Gadfly Leslie Queen of KoolAid Austin Cochran Sally Guevara wrote for the Kennilou Taylor Challenger it’s Chief Operating Officer: Alan Graham Courtney first 6 months . Peter Cooper for typing 5524 Bee Caves Rd Austin, TX 78746 Web Keeper: GrackleDesign.com Mobile Loaves & Fishes (512) 328-7299 [email protected] Trinity Center Peter Cooper-Treasurer/Assnt Editor Mention this ad when you donate! Lori Renteria Treasure City Thrift Is time it to work on mental health? Keep Austin Fed PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO MLF’S Community First! Village PROJECT THANKS TO ALL OUR ADVERTIZERS , DONORS , CONTRIBUTORS AND DISTRIBUTORS YOU MEAN A LOT ! Use Challenger Ad Rates to get a subscription or make donation! www.challengernewspaper.org Ad size Approx 1X 3X 6X 12X Editorial Policy Full Page 7.5X10 230 220 210 200/mo The material in this paper re- flects the opinion of the author. Half Page 7.5x 5 130 120 110 100/mo Submissions determined to be Quarter page 3.5x 5 80 70 60 50/mo libelous or that encourage dis- crimination, sexism, or violence Eighth page 3.5x 2.5 50 40 40 40/mo will not be published. We ask you to proof read your article. Business card 3.5x 2 30 30 30 30/mo Editor doesn’t edit. Grammar is If you're unhoused call for special rate Pay per issue or for a year edited only for understanding. Deadline is 2nd Sunday or S UPP OR T U S W I T H A B USINESS A D the 15th. O U R R EADERS W I L L S UPPO RT Y O U ! Challenger Street Newspaper Page 3 A NNOUNCEMENTS Need you to bear witness of homeless street interactions by filming the police. SAFE SLEEP Everyone is invited, it’s your right to film police. F O R W O M E N B Y S T A F F W RITERS Contact Lizard King [email protected] Safe Sleep was originally created in 2012 by in- ?There will be a social terested women of Austin, the City Council, Va- lerie G., and Occupy Austin, to allow any wom- worker and Austin Free- WANTED BAD COP STORIES an who did not want to sleep in the streets to net to assist people with Were you or some one you know in Austin have a safe place at night. intimidated, yelled at, assaulted or falsely computer skills at 3 librar- The location now is: arrested by Austin Police Officer/s? ies: Bear witness, be your brother and sister's At the Salvation Army keeper. of Austin, located at Tuesdays- ACE (Faulk Central If not now, when? 501 East Eighth Street. Library) 11:00-1:00. If not you, whom? Safe Sleep gives wom- Tell us your stories. en (transgender men Wednesday- ALW (Little Wal- Contact Lizard King at the Challenger may only apply to the Newspaper. upstairs dorm) access nut Creek) 2:00-4:00. We meet twice a week, at 1pm. On Sun- to showers, a cot, and a breakfast in the morn- Thursdays-ATB (Terrazos) days at City Hall steps (Guadalupe and ing. Basic hygiene products are also available. Cesar Chavez) and on Wednesdays There is no storage of any kind offered. The line 11:30-1:30. across from the ARCH at Trinity Center (St. forms at the side entrance (in the alleyway be- David's Church, Trinity and E 7th St). tween the Salvation Army building and ARCH The Information HelpLine is an Come tell us your story or email us at chal- building) at 6:30pm. Soda machine on first floor. [email protected] New rules: Sign-up @ 8 am, drawing @ 8:30 am information and referral service FaceBook: Challenger Street Newspaper which can be reached by calling for a mat or a cot. There are no attendance 1 (800) 950950----NAMINAMI (6264)(6264), Mon- Be safe, ya'll, report the police, keep the requirements (except a TB test) so you can show police honest and lawful. Lizard King day through Friday, 10 a.m.- 6 up whenever you need a safe place to sleep. If you miss the drawing, space may be available p.m., EST. on a case by case basis. You can register to vote by October 11th. Online or text! Just list your address: The manager on duty comes outside and asks corner of ie: Ben Wht/So 1st or wherever you reside.