I doubt anything will come of this but I would love to hear something on the news concerning the absolute hatred that Oceanside residents have for fellow human beings. I have been a tax paying, gainfully employed contributing member of society for almost 30 years (I am 43, I got my first job at 16). I skipped a grade in school, graduated at 16 and was educated at an exclusive private school in Ann Arbor, Michigan that I attended on scholarship, followed by the University of Michigan. My husband has a Master’s degree and is better educated than most of the people that treat us like crap. We had an avalanche of bad things happen to us last year, which ultimately lead to us being residentially challenged- for the moment. We will get back on our feet.
But people in Oceanside do their best to make you feel like crap. Actually, worse than crap. Because Oceanside is generally a very nice looking town. However, in my opinion, the dog feces situation is horrendous. Oceanside residents get offended if they see a homeless person sitting on the street or Heaven forbid see the same car parked across the street two days in a row. But time after time I have watched these holier than thou residents walk dogs, sometimes two and three at a time, allow the dog to defecate literally on the sidewalk, not even in grass but on the sidewalk, and just keep it moving. That is illegal. That is just as illegal as a homeless person trying to keep warm on the street at night. But the homeless are hounded and harassed and ticketed, meanwhile these privileged, entitled people spread dog feces throughout the city, and then call the police on every other homeless person they see.
I had a car to live in. The battery died completely on me. The police gave me 72 hours to move it. I was confident I could accomplish that. But they came back 24 hours later, told me they were disgusted that I hadn’t obtained a new battery yet (in 24 hours, as if $90 grows on trees here in Oceanside) and told me they were revoking my 72 hours and towing it that evening. The police officer literally said to me “You have 6 hours to figure something out or guess you’ll be on the streets!” and he and his partner actually laughed. I’m a woman and they were laughing at the prospect of throwing me onto the streets.
At the library today I was outside of the building on Civic Center, and two young Mormon gentleman approached me and another man who was nearby and asked if he could tell us about the Book of Mormon. We agreed and as they were talking to us the library security guard came by and said “You guys have to move, you can’t hang out here.” I said I understand, these young men were just sharing their faith with us. To which she replied “I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about you.” So it’s okay for Mormon youth to hang out, just not people who are residentially challenged? Either we’re all allowed to hang out or none of us are. Either we have 72 hours to move a vehicle or we don’t. And dog feces is even more disgusting than a fellow HUMAN BEING trying the best they can to survive.
This situation is absolutely horrendous. Human beings deserve better from fellow human beings. If you don’t like looking at a homeless person than look away. That’s what I have to do whenever I encounter your dog’s feces on the sidewalk. I don’t know if you’ll mention this on the news or not. But I pray you do. It needs to be said.
-Marta Daniels