Collected Item: “William P. Oral History, 2022/02/11”
Title
Interview with William P.
Who conducted the interview? List all names, separated by comma.
Kit Heintzman
Who was interviewed? List all names, separated by commas.
William P
Email Address(es) for all interviewers. Separated by comma.
kheintzman@gmail.com
Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your oral history. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?
#assault, #climatechange, #COVID+, #environment, #fear, #flu, #headinjury, #homeless, #hospitals, #medicine, #panhandling, #Pennsylvania, #Philadelphia, #populationcontrol, #seizures, #shelters, #snowstorm, #socialsecurity, #socialworker, #race, #UFOs, #vaccination, #ventilators, #winter
What is the format of your recording?
Audio
In what ZIP code is the primary residence of the interviewee? (enter 5-digit ZIP code; for example, 00544 or 94305)? In what city/town/village does the interviewee live? In what country does the interviewee live? All comma-separated.
Downtown, Philadelphia, PA
What is the gender of the interviewee? Be sure to allow interviewees to self-identify their gender in the pre-interview or interview. *Do not assign a gender identity to interviewees.*
man
What is the age of the interviewee?
45 to 54
How does the interviewee describe their race or ethnicity? Be sure to allow interviewees to self-identify their race/ethnicity in the pre-interview or interview. *Do not assign a racial or ethnic identity to interviewees.*
Irish-Italian white
Describe the oral history.
Some of the things we spoke about included
Being on the streets for 2 years, waiting for social security, which was interrupted by COVID
Wanting to work, having worked in construction: Building the Fillmore, the Coat Factory, a grocery store on 69th St.
Having a social worker and a lawyer, long court dates; making an appointment 3 months out when you have nowhere to go in between
Being in and out of shelters, fear of murder in west philly
Having a seizure disorder from an assault/head injury in 2002, not able to drive
Getting vaccinated; comparisons between getting COVID and the negative effects of vaccination, and of having the flu
Global population management and COVID
Immigration
Never had the flu shot, comparisons between the deaths from COVID and from the flu
Worries about COVID treatments, people dying from ventilators and laying on their backs; medicine as dangerous
Not being allowed to stay in the shelter during the day, jail as a place to sleep and eat
Thefts in shelters
Getting more money when panhandling from Black people than white people; having regulars give money
Technology from UFOs
The environmental crisis: humans have ruined the planet with lead and toxins, searches for other suitable and habitable planets
“If you die you die. It’s gonna be.”
People are like cars, some Chevys built to last vs. FORD (Found On Road Dead); “Only the strong survive”
Harsh winters and snow storms
The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Homeless Services’ Street Outreach (http://philadelphiaofficeofhomelessservices.org/shared-public-spaces-old/street-outreach/)
Being on the streets for 2 years, waiting for social security, which was interrupted by COVID
Wanting to work, having worked in construction: Building the Fillmore, the Coat Factory, a grocery store on 69th St.
Having a social worker and a lawyer, long court dates; making an appointment 3 months out when you have nowhere to go in between
Being in and out of shelters, fear of murder in west philly
Having a seizure disorder from an assault/head injury in 2002, not able to drive
Getting vaccinated; comparisons between getting COVID and the negative effects of vaccination, and of having the flu
Global population management and COVID
Immigration
Never had the flu shot, comparisons between the deaths from COVID and from the flu
Worries about COVID treatments, people dying from ventilators and laying on their backs; medicine as dangerous
Not being allowed to stay in the shelter during the day, jail as a place to sleep and eat
Thefts in shelters
Getting more money when panhandling from Black people than white people; having regulars give money
Technology from UFOs
The environmental crisis: humans have ruined the planet with lead and toxins, searches for other suitable and habitable planets
“If you die you die. It’s gonna be.”
People are like cars, some Chevys built to last vs. FORD (Found On Road Dead); “Only the strong survive”
Harsh winters and snow storms
The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Homeless Services’ Street Outreach (http://philadelphiaofficeofhomelessservices.org/shared-public-spaces-old/street-outreach/)
On what date did you record this oral history?
2022-02-11