Supreme Dilemma

 


Photo caption: Person living unhoused outdoors resting on a bench in Montpelier, the capital city of Vermont (photo shared with the direct consent of the person pictured). Image credit: Morgan W. Brown (circa: 11/2/2022)

Anticipated to be handed down sometime shortly by the US Supreme Court is its decision on Johnson versus Grants Pass:

On April 22nd 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States heard the case of Johnson v. Grants Pass. This sets the stage for the most significant Supreme Court case about the rights of homeless people in decades. At its core, this case will decide whether cities are allowed to punish people for things like sleeping outside with a pillow or blanket, even when there are no safe shelter options. A decision will be made by June 30th, 2024.

Besides the above quoted information and source, this Harvard Law School article has more about the case, here.

Meanwhile, Common Dreams has a recently published related opinion piece concerning the case very much worth the read, here.

Closer to home, the Vermont Political Observer posted a blog post concerning homelessness and the ongoing dire crisis within Vermont in general and is also very much worth the read, here.

All of which has been and shall continue to be nothing short of a supreme dilemma unless and until something meaningful and real is done to actually address these and related matters nationally, statewide as well as in local communities, no matter what the US Supreme Court decides in the Johnson vs Grants Pass case.

Read somewhat related blog posts of mine concerning homelessness, here and here.

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