weird:

We've had a homeless, young, Armenian man living in our backyard and our neighbor's basement for some days now. Discovered that this Sunday. Last night, our neighbor moved the homeless youth's suitcases and bike out of our backyard shrubbery. This with much rustling of property and several police officers' assistance.

-------------------------------------------------

Coincidentally: I answered a 30 minute survey on how safe I feel in my neighborhood - including details like how much I make, whether or not my home has special locks or a burglar alarm, how often the house was left unattended on a daily/weekly basis, etc. After the call ended, It took a while for the slow heat of alarm to race from my toes upwards. I realized that I'd just been cased and figured that soon enough, I'd come home to a violently emptied and disheveled home. The following email exchange is with the professor who is listed as the principal investigator for the study questions I answered last night:

----------------------------------------
On Tue, 10 Dec 2002, Lillian wrote:

> Dear Dr. Matsueda,
>
> Last night I received a call from the Social and Behavioral Research
> Institute, following a letter signed by you, asking me to participate
> in a research survey about violence in Seattle neighborhoods. Because
> the questions I answered provided details about how I maintain the
> safety of my home, I wanted to make sure (granted, it's after the
> fact) that this survey is legitmate.
>
> Could you please respond and let me know if the survey is one that you
> are involved in as a principal investigator?
>
> Regards,
>
> Lillian

----------

From: R. Matsueda
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 9:53 AM
To: Lillian
Dear Lillian,

Thank you very much for your email and for participating in our study.
Yes, I am the P.I. on the project, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Consortium for Violence Research.
The project is entirely legitimate, and your responses will be kept entirely confidential.

Your views and the views of other Seattle residents are very important for the scientific goals of the project. Thank you again for helping us out.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

Best Regards,
Ross

*********************************************************************
R. L. Matsueda
Professor of Sociology
University of Washington
*********************************************************************


*I'll finish here by writing that I've never lived in a safer neighborhood than I do now. It's quiet, there's a playfield across the street that, when one sits on the floor in front of our living room window, makes it look as though we live in a meadow surrounded by evergreens. Our neighbors are mostly retired and very calm. I've relaxed in this home moreso than in most, marvelling at that all the while. The incidents above feel like a reminder of why I chose, for decades, to live in racially diverse, low-income neighborhoods. I have felt that losing touch with the problems that other people put up with every day would be a mistake. Maybe the above incidents are better characterized as a "wake up call". Either way, it's lots to think about.

Answer please: What would you do if a homeless person moved into your yard...?