Atlanta

I recently read an essay by Murphy Davis about the city of Atlanta allowing corporate powers to take control of the public parks and housing. In Davis's paper he lists a number of buildings and parks that were either demolished or redesigned so that homeless people would have no shelter. Davis reveals to his audience the truth about the upper class of Atlanta and its disgust for homeless men and women. He mainly talks about a 1.7 acre area called Woodruff park. Woodruff Park was closed one year after he and his disciples spoke out against a city ordinance that prohibited people from lying on a park bench or against a tree by disobeying. The altercation resulted in 12 of his followers going to jail and exactly one year later the park was closed for renovation. The renovation contractors were instructed by the city to create a park that was inhospitable to the homeless. The benches in the park were made with arm rest placed so that lying down on them was impossible. The park now has no bathroom, drinking fountain or play equipment for children. The park is nothing but a grassy spot in the middle of downtown Atlanta with a waterfall. The city also took down several public housing buildings before the 96 Olympics to build a civic center, pave parking lots and make dormitories. The city has taken down all these areas and hasn't built one new building for the homeless to seek shelter in. This is a sad representation of American urban society. What are the leaders of the city trying to say about the homeless. The city is building a lot of nice places to look at, but nowhere to go enjoy a day outside. The city is becoming a dark depressing place that not even the homeless can live in; how much longer will this continue. The city of Atlanta should have places were all races and social classes can go and be on common ground.