Just recently, Lacey had an opportunity to get in line with other major communities in Thurston County and pass an ordinance allowing faith based groups to house the homeless in small tent cities.  The current model as adopted by Camp Quixote in Olympia and approved by both Olympia and Tumwater City Councils is functional, sustainable and beneficial to all parties involved.  Lacey however considered an law that would allow only indoor use of churches to house the homeless and would not allow for the proven tent city model.

An article in The Olympian gives many of the sordid details.

While American soldiers sleep in tents in training and in war zones, Deputy Mayor John Darby proclaims “I can’t in good conscience say, ‘Bring your tent to Lacey,’  Why not?  Tents have housed human beings for thousands of years.  If our fighting men and women can use tents, why not some of the most desperate members of our society?

Rather Lacey would compel churches to house homeless indoors.  A noble thought, but not always practical.  If a church can house people indoors, I imagine they would.  Allowing their grounds to be used to host tents is often the most they can do, and still continue to provide a full range of services to the community and their parishioners.

Persons wishing to stay at a shelter must provide photo identification or be fingerprinted.

Lacey also bans homeless persons from possessing weapons in homeless shelters.  While a private property owner can bar weapons from their property, I believe for government to flat out ban certain classes of people from bearing arms is a clear cut violation of the State Constitution, which very carefully protects the right of the individual to keep and bear arms.  Lacey is all over the board on rights violations with this one.  They violate the rights of churches to minister to people in a fashion they see fit, infringing on their right to practice their religion, they infringe on the rights of homeless to bear arms.  Maybe they will start limiting the free speech of homeless, and dictating what they can and cannot read.

Folks, churches should be free to minister to people as they see fit on their own land.  Churches, not the City of Lacey should dictate what persons on their church grounds can and cannot do.  Private property holders can limit users of their property in regards to weapons, city government cannot dictate to certain classes if they can or cannot have legal weapons.  Let the churches determine how they want to house the homeless, and let the churches decide if they want their guests armed.  I say shame on the Lacey City Council!  This is why they are my Vermin of the Week.