Oh yes they do happen! But before facing up to the problem in our own country let’s have a look at the bad news about another country’s inhumanity somewhere else. Anywhere else.
A convenient example: honouring World Habitat Day, Amnesty International has published an op-ed piece decrying the inhumanity of forced evictions. The principal focus of its concern are recent high-handed actions taken in Kenya to clear thousands of poorly housed citizens away from government sponsored projects. All this is happening in an under-developed country, ironically one with an official commitment to build more affordable housing.
An important perception appears to validate such actions in such countries: laws, property rights, due process (as well as, apparently, affordable housing) are privileges afforded to people. Forced evictions are actions excused at the highest levels, because they are carried out against non-people.
Should we view such far away actions through the convenient and lazy lens of exceptionalism — the assumption that developed countries are blessed with a higher class of humanity?
The temptation to do so is overwhelming. With our superior legal checks and balances, with the warm humanitarian attitudes of more civilized countries who can easily afford such compassion . . . it can’t happen here.
But it does happen, more and more frequently. Is it even necessary to name the countries in which it occurs?
Search Google for evictions involving the most extreme forms of marginal housing. And just like the housing of thousands being bulldozed along with personal possessions in Kenya, look for unsanctioned housing in developed countries.
In the developed world, look for evictions in tent cities.
Recent examples immediately bubble to the surface, one from Canada in Global News: Judge gives residents of Nanaimo tent city 3 weeks to clear out
another from the United States in WLWT5: Hamilton looks to shut down tent city by end September
True, these examples threaten forced evictions in tens to hundreds, not thousands as in Kenya.
But a change of scale provides no moral or legal refuge. Canada, the United States, and many other developed nations have proven time and time again to be no better than Kenya by any reasonable measurement.
Which makes Amnesty International op-ed piece thought provoking reading for citizens of pretty much every country. Read more at amnesty.org: World Habitat Day: Governments Must End The Brutal Practice Of Forced Evictions (Op-Ed)
