I got an email from Donnie today. Donnie and I have been conversing for years during my years in Portland radio. Today I got a particularly poignant email from him which gives perspective to the horrible shootings of two homeless men early this morning. It’s powerful and haunting.

Victoria,

       At 5 am this morning, 2 homeless men were were shot as they slept out in the cold under the Morrison bridge in one of the most cowardly, despicable acts ever committed in Portland. Some low life fugitive from a colostomy bag, from the safety of his pickup,opened fire on two homeless men

           I am listening with no small amount of trepidation, for the media to release their names. Even though I live in the Stewart Hotel, the worst of Portland’s skid row Hotels with a disabled woman and a big orange tabby cat, I consider myself homeless. I am the victim of a rogue landlord that took over

management of our building when the owner died. For some reason, which she would not disclose, and with the aid of Oregon’s no cause eviction law and the county sheriff, we were put out on the street and the total destruction of my life began.

      So being homeless, I feel a kinship with those 2 men. Because so many homeless go by street names I probably won’t recognize their names even though I know so many of them now. I wonder if they were in the group of 90 men living in a single room at transition projects with me in 2009, did i ever buy a Street Roots paper from one of them, did I ever sit with them at the St Frances dining hall or the Blanchet house, are they homeless veterans who once raised their right hands  in their youthful bright eyed eagerness to do whatever their country asked of them, do they spend their days collecting cans to make a meager  income or do they boost batteries and razors and other small items to sell for half price on the street. Do they go to sleep as I do thinking of better days and better times and knowing that they are just memories and gone forever.. Are they on the street because of alcohol or drug abuse or are they the  victims of a foreclosure or the escalation of apartment rents.

       There are so many homeless on the streets of Portland, Victoria, If this is the opening act of a serial homeless shooter, he has a target rich environment..

                                                                                                       Donnie