When Salem activist Peter Bergel asked the small audience in Loucks Auditorium to sing along, none did at first. He kept strumming his guitar.By the end of the first song, “Somos El Barco,” the attendees were quietly joining in for the chorus. By the end of the second number “Woke Up This Mornin’ With My Mind Stayed On Freedom,” it was a gentle singalong.Tuesday’s annual “Salem Speaks Up!” event wasn’t a full house, with about 35 people in an auditorium that can hold seven times the amount. But those in attendance, many of them already involved in services for Salem’s unsheltered community, were there to listen. The community event, hosted by Salem’s Human Rights Commission, asked Salem residents to bring their perspectives about life in Salem to an open microphone. The event honors International Human Rights Day, and happens around the world.Of the several attendees who approached the microphone, most were service providers sharing information about recognizing discrimination in Salem, and the impact that everyday people can have on the lives of those struggling in the community.  Some Salem leadership was in the audience, including outgoing Mayor Chris Hoy, who read the city’s proclamation for the day, and Councilors Linda Nishoka and Virginia Stapleton. Incoming City Councilors Shante Matthews and Irvin Brown, a former member of the commission, also attended. One speaker, Ezekiel, identified himself as someone who had been on the streets for about five years. He shared some prose he’d written about the power of supporting one another.“Sometimes people choose to fight, to hold back the dark. But we can’t do it alone, not forever anyway,” he said. His speech was met with applause.  Later, when the open mic turned into more of a conversation as attendees passed a microphone around, Ezekiel said he wanted people in Salem to remember that every unsheltered person gets there for a different reason. He said he’s often blamed for trash left by nearby unsheltered people. “I wouldn’t judge you by what your neighbors are doing,” he said. “We’re not all like that.” John Marshall, a pastor at Salem’s Church at the Park, shared a story about an unsheltered couple he was working with, David and Lisa, who failed to attend a banquet he was looking forward to hosting them at. When he found them in their encampment, the woman was bedridden from a cancer flare up and her partner was caring for her.When Marshall arrived, the man, skillet in hand, asked him how he liked his eggs.“I still believe the world can change. But I don’t think that the world changes because people like me work hard, or because people like David accept that help. I think, in the name of human rights, the world changes when we recognize that we are all sitting at the table together already,” Marshall said.  Jimmy Jones, the executive director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, which provides sheltering, housing and support services throughout the region, gave closing remarks for the event.  “We all matter. How hard would it be to commit to that simple principle? Well, it has been very difficult over the course of American history and all the way down to this moment,” he said, to nods from those gathered.Jones referenced President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s speech on The Four Freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.“Freedom from want. What he meant from that is freedom from poverty. Because poverty somehow robs us of our dignity, robs us from equal opportunity, robs us of the full fruits of citizenship. It somehow keeps us from becoming this full version of ourself. And it is an assault, it’s an act of violence upon an individual whether they are housed or not housed,” Jones said.He said those gathered are living in a moment where a lot of people are afraid. Speakers had discussed the fear unsheltered people face from violence, and not knowing where to sleep at night.  In July, the Human Rights Commission’s annual community belonging survey found that 91% of unhoused respondents said they’ve personally experienced discrimination in the past year. Respondents reported drive-by insults and threats. In 2023, a teenager beat Russell Mikolas, a 64-year old disabled homeless man, to death. Earlier this year, a camper at Wallace Marine Park, 29-year-old Charley A. Hodges, was shot to death after a housed man accused the homeless community of stealing from him. “Those are not the only people who are afraid. A lot of the people who are afraid today are very wealthy, or they’re living comfortable middle-class lives. They are afraid of their neighbors. They’re afraid where this country is going, they’re afraid of the poverty around them and they are ashamed to see it in their presence,” Jones said in his speech. But, he said fear and the issue of homelessness can be overcome. He pointed to the work being done in Salem to alleviate suffering. He said a crisis manufactured by years of bad federal and state policy can be unmade. It just requires holding onto hope.“If we have bungled our way into this, then we can certainly bungle our way out of it,” Jones said.  One attendee on the microphone said they wanted more resources for citizens concerned about how to help unsheltered people in Oregon. They were applauded for the question and given contact cards. They were also invited to talk with some of the organizations present which included Punx With Purpose, Northwest Human Services and the CRAWL warming shelter and low-rent dorms operated by Seed of Faith Ministries. Attendees were also invited to register as a volunteer surveyor for the Marion-Polk County Point-in-Time Count, which from January 23-29 will survey unsheltered people in Salem. To register, see the count’s registration portal. Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Citizens talk about moving beyond fear at Salem Speaks Up! event appeared first on Salem Reporter.