Nearly a year into the project, residents are confused and worried. As of today, all public events are postponed until the Mayor's Office decides how to respond.
If you want to right about me then maybe you should talk to me. I have never gone on a self guided tour and have taken city leaders via police escort! About the only thing you got right was remember the name!!!!! I will not stop until these people get the help they need and the abandoned greenway rehabbed! No one I would associate with would call for the violent removal of people who are physically sick, mentally compromised and suffering from addiction! Many people have died in that camp including two in the last two months. By all means contact me. Lou Wilbanks
You are influential and "Belle Meade- West Meade - Hillwood - United Neighborhoods" is a major media source for nearly 2000 Nashvillians. Many of these people are civically engaged and concerned with local politics. What you say and do impacts Nashville. This includes what you, as the admin, allow to stand.
This Facebook page has consistently and reliably perpetuated stereotypes that I will not repeat here about unhoused people. This page and its members have engaged with the problem of houselessness mainly for its affront to parks, the environment, public space, even the pets of unhoused residents. If residents of these communities are mentioned at all, they are often maligned for illegal camping or shamed for their living conditions. In one post about visiting Brookmeade with VM Shulman, you say: "There were a few times we had to pull the Vice Mayor away as he was very comfortable engaging with people in the camp and we had limited time." You call for the "MORROW ROAD HOMELESS SETUP" to be "moved out and cleaned up within two weeks." You have shaped a consensus that calls for the area to be cleaned up, camps to be closed, celebrates removal, and repeatedly says "something must be done." Without context, these ambiguous statements leave it to the reader to know what you mean. In context of your group, it's not a problem to omit specifics about the complex efforts (increase housing stock, lower barriers to entry) to make housing accessible to more people. Nearly every post makes clear the priorities of this page's approach to the housing crisis: close it down, clean it up. These echo in every call for public officials or private businesses to "do something" or "take action."
You have, on multiple occasions, reported out on visits you made to communities of unhoused people. You reported that you visited with news and elected officials—if you did have someone leading your trips here whom you consider a guide, I misunderstood your reporting, and you can correct me here. Otherwise, I consider your experiences self-guided.
The posts you make on this page are significant in shaping our response to the growing number of unhoused people in Nashville. So are the posts you allow on this page and the actions they call for, explicitly and implicitly. I will continue to write about the factors that shaping critical responses to major issues in Nashville. That reporting will include the powers that control what is accepted, endorsed, or legitimized on these pages.
REALLY? “Lately, these two groups have called for the violent removal of the unhoused with a specific fixation on ‘reclaiming’ Brookmeade.” I direct you to our mission statement stating since inception:
“We are a grass roots, non-profit, non-partisan organization for the sole purpose of reclaiming Brookemeade Park from the homeless camp so taxpayers from Davidson County can enjoy this beautiful space & the people living there can be compassionately housed & helped.“ I am the founder and have personally met with dozens of current unhoused people to better address their needs with love, compassion and expediency. It’s getting cold and they need help. I’ve continually called for their attention FIRST and the park rehab SECOND. We have never condoned bulldozing or violence. What an irresponsible piece of “journalism”. Next time you wish to report on this, contact me. I’ve made myself available to literally everyone who has asked.
Hi Rebecca—thanks for your clarification. While there is overlap with Lou and BMWBHWUN, I think I was unfair in the characterization of Reclaim Brookmeade, which has featured some pretty appalling comments but also has pushed housing-based solutions. I've updated this article to reflect that.
Thank you very much, Eli. I appreciate it. There are over 600 people who follow the group page. I don't personally like the tone of every single comment nor do I see every single one, but it takes all kinds to get the ball rolling ... and we are helping to do that. If someone is offended by something and they let me know, I am almost always agreeable and remove it. Such is social media. However, the mission and goal are clear. I and several hard working activists have linked arms with service providers, neighbors, businesses and government to push this needle in a compassionate way, addressing the people first and the park second. We will not stand for any mistreatment, bulldozing (God forbid) or unnecessary added trauma. I can't tolerate drug dealing and dealers are certainly in there, but I know they are hiding behind deserving souls and are often a product of a tragic upbringing themselves. The must all be addressed. Housing is the ultimate goal, yes. But we have a problem providing that NOW. It's not just housing. It's immediate stabilization. That's where we come in. We are advocating a bridge from the tent to the housing. And with all due respect and concern, it's not Brookmeade Park.
If you want to right about me then maybe you should talk to me. I have never gone on a self guided tour and have taken city leaders via police escort! About the only thing you got right was remember the name!!!!! I will not stop until these people get the help they need and the abandoned greenway rehabbed! No one I would associate with would call for the violent removal of people who are physically sick, mentally compromised and suffering from addiction! Many people have died in that camp including two in the last two months. By all means contact me. Lou Wilbanks
Ms. Wilbanks—
You are influential and "Belle Meade- West Meade - Hillwood - United Neighborhoods" is a major media source for nearly 2000 Nashvillians. Many of these people are civically engaged and concerned with local politics. What you say and do impacts Nashville. This includes what you, as the admin, allow to stand.
This Facebook page has consistently and reliably perpetuated stereotypes that I will not repeat here about unhoused people. This page and its members have engaged with the problem of houselessness mainly for its affront to parks, the environment, public space, even the pets of unhoused residents. If residents of these communities are mentioned at all, they are often maligned for illegal camping or shamed for their living conditions. In one post about visiting Brookmeade with VM Shulman, you say: "There were a few times we had to pull the Vice Mayor away as he was very comfortable engaging with people in the camp and we had limited time." You call for the "MORROW ROAD HOMELESS SETUP" to be "moved out and cleaned up within two weeks." You have shaped a consensus that calls for the area to be cleaned up, camps to be closed, celebrates removal, and repeatedly says "something must be done." Without context, these ambiguous statements leave it to the reader to know what you mean. In context of your group, it's not a problem to omit specifics about the complex efforts (increase housing stock, lower barriers to entry) to make housing accessible to more people. Nearly every post makes clear the priorities of this page's approach to the housing crisis: close it down, clean it up. These echo in every call for public officials or private businesses to "do something" or "take action."
You have, on multiple occasions, reported out on visits you made to communities of unhoused people. You reported that you visited with news and elected officials—if you did have someone leading your trips here whom you consider a guide, I misunderstood your reporting, and you can correct me here. Otherwise, I consider your experiences self-guided.
The posts you make on this page are significant in shaping our response to the growing number of unhoused people in Nashville. So are the posts you allow on this page and the actions they call for, explicitly and implicitly. I will continue to write about the factors that shaping critical responses to major issues in Nashville. That reporting will include the powers that control what is accepted, endorsed, or legitimized on these pages.
REALLY? “Lately, these two groups have called for the violent removal of the unhoused with a specific fixation on ‘reclaiming’ Brookmeade.” I direct you to our mission statement stating since inception:
“We are a grass roots, non-profit, non-partisan organization for the sole purpose of reclaiming Brookemeade Park from the homeless camp so taxpayers from Davidson County can enjoy this beautiful space & the people living there can be compassionately housed & helped.“ I am the founder and have personally met with dozens of current unhoused people to better address their needs with love, compassion and expediency. It’s getting cold and they need help. I’ve continually called for their attention FIRST and the park rehab SECOND. We have never condoned bulldozing or violence. What an irresponsible piece of “journalism”. Next time you wish to report on this, contact me. I’ve made myself available to literally everyone who has asked.
Hi Rebecca—thanks for your clarification. While there is overlap with Lou and BMWBHWUN, I think I was unfair in the characterization of Reclaim Brookmeade, which has featured some pretty appalling comments but also has pushed housing-based solutions. I've updated this article to reflect that.
Thank you very much, Eli. I appreciate it. There are over 600 people who follow the group page. I don't personally like the tone of every single comment nor do I see every single one, but it takes all kinds to get the ball rolling ... and we are helping to do that. If someone is offended by something and they let me know, I am almost always agreeable and remove it. Such is social media. However, the mission and goal are clear. I and several hard working activists have linked arms with service providers, neighbors, businesses and government to push this needle in a compassionate way, addressing the people first and the park second. We will not stand for any mistreatment, bulldozing (God forbid) or unnecessary added trauma. I can't tolerate drug dealing and dealers are certainly in there, but I know they are hiding behind deserving souls and are often a product of a tragic upbringing themselves. The must all be addressed. Housing is the ultimate goal, yes. But we have a problem providing that NOW. It's not just housing. It's immediate stabilization. That's where we come in. We are advocating a bridge from the tent to the housing. And with all due respect and concern, it's not Brookmeade Park.