After spending several weeks in the Tradesville community, Hurricane Katrina refugee Roy Gleiter has resumed his nationwide march in a protest against poverty. After Katrina destroyed his home in 2005, FEMA could not provide housing assistance because he did not own his dwelling.
Unable to find employment in the storm-stricken area, Roy packed his few belongings, 68-year old mother, and dog 'Poofer' onto a modified 2-wheeled cart. After the local constabulary evicted him from Jackson, Mississippi, Roy hit the road in a quest to find work and a new place to call home... but after receiving "unfriendly treatment" for the crimes of sleeping, standing and sitting, Roy's mission changed from search to statement.
In one town, Roy had to stay awake for 3 days because he would be arrested for sleeping; deputies monitored his every move as he slowly pulled his 5,000 lb. cart out of their jurisdiction. In another town, a deputy threatened to arrest him, put his mother in a mental hospital, and euthanize his dog. Surprisingly, this type of harsh treatment hasn't dashed Roy's good spirits– he chooses instead to reflect on positive encounters with people who respect him as a fellow human being... "you can become the evil, or fight against it," he says.
Roy refers to himself as an "economic refugee" and urges people to realize that many of us are only 1 or 2 paychecks away from being homeless ourselves. His journey is a protest against the impoverishment of the middle class and what he calls "the government's fixation on enriching the top 1/10th of 1 percent." He reached Washington, DC some time ago and is now heading to Washington State.
_____________________________________________________________NOTE: Photos by Phil Wartena
* As of June 5, 2008, Roy is making his way through Camden, SC.
3 comments:
wow...I feel for this guy. I can't imagine losing everything and then being treated so harshly for trying to survive. I hope that he does come across some folks who welcome him in and treat him with the respect he deserves.
I had the true pleasure of meeting this awesome guy traveling for a purpose. We listened to his story and what an intelligent man he is. We were not sure what to expect when we stopped but so intriged by his wagon with American flags all over it and tent on the roadside we stopped. He was the kindest man ever. He never asked us for a dime nor anything else only a thank you was offered for not being afraid to stop and speak to him...
My family members and my person met Roy, his mom, and dog while he was traveling through Gore, OK. the northeast part of Ok, before Thanksgiving 2009. the team camped out by the first Cherokee Courthouse in Oklahoma.
In a big sense of the word they are on an adventure trip with the purpose of advocating for Americans that live in poverty. He is walking his talk and seems to be focused on the trip without hesitation.
Anne and husband Steve took him and team Thanksgiving dinner,on Thanksgiving Day 2009. They were appreciative and gracious about the goodwill gesture, so we know they celebrated "Thanksgiving Day" with a full tummy of homemade country style cooking!
They were taking the routes that are secondary staying off the main roadways to make the journey more bearable. I met him and the crew (mom and dog) and it was a pleasure to visit with them. Mr. Gleiter is an intelligent man and is determined to travel to his detination without further due.
If you have the opportunity of meeting him it will be a worhwhile effort and he asks for nothing, however when you hear their story it touches ones heart that has been raised in the lower socioeconomic background. One has to have a heart to give what they can to assit them in their destination.
The family and I offered them to stay for the winter to get them off the roadways until Spring and he kindly and respectfully declined and stated they were already behind schedule. He is on a purposeful journey that made sense to me. They are headed to Washington state after a trek to Washington, DC. There are few people that would ever consider this type of journey. He has good reasoning to make the journey and has a sincere heart in doing so. Wish them well if for no other reason then the stamina he has for what he believes in. God be with you Roy and family!!! May your journey be a safe one and may God watch over you and yours day and night.
With Warm Regards,
Steve & Anne Hayes and Janet Dugger
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