What will it take for us to be better?

Who bears the responsibility for the fatal Teichert Pond shooting? Who gave the shooters license to terrorize the homeless and regard the homeless as the “other,” undeserving and scum? Is it the Chico City Council member who said we will move them and move them and move them until they disappear? Is it the local citizen who has promoted citizen arrests? Is it the founders of Citizens for a Safe Chico and Chico First with their incendiary language? Is it the passive citizens of Chico who silently and with their vote authorize inhuman treatment of our homeless relying on various conspiracy theories — they’re from out of town and if we make it too comfortable for them, then all the state’s homeless will come here. Now is the time for deep soul searching by all of us. This should not now or ever be happening.

— Julian Zener, Chico