Twin Cities Needs No Headlines
“Just call them poor people and be done with them.”
I invest some of my time studying issues concerning the homeless from across the globe. It’s easy to research topics on the internet, and I subscribe to a few news groups that specifically address homeless issues. I’m always surprised to learn that while cultures and colors may change, cruel attitudes and malicious opinions about the poor and homeless know no borders.
Here are some headlines I uncovered yesterday concerning the homeless:
Baton Rouge will use horse patrols to deal with homeless.
"We recognize that post-Katrina, our homeless population has grown. We want to protect the rights of these individuals, but we certainly want to protect citizens from any harassment," stated an administrator from the mayor’s office.
Some of the City’s homeless problem likely involves ‘citizens’ and is a result of Katrina, worsened by the bungling efforts of FEMA. I wonder why the City’s homeless are considered ‘these individuals’, and not ‘citizens’ by the mayor’s office? As long as officials see the homeless as ‘a singular and separable group’ apart from the community, any community efforts to help the homeless will be futile, unless covert.
A metro Council member added “Since Katrina there has been a huge influx of, for lack of a better word, tramps or bums or panhandlers. And they’re very aggressive.”
People use words like ‘tramp’ or ‘bum’ to describe all homeless people out of ignorance and lack of respect, not for lack of a better word. Then the same people usually have to add thoughtless last words trying to justify their bigoted opinions.
Such prejudice against the homeless shouldn’t be surprising to the ‘citizens’ of the Twin Cities. We need no headlines.
Radio shows in our area frequently blast the homeless. I came across such a diatribe on a popular morning show last March. The program’s host interrupted an onslaught of homeless jokes and insults to exclaim, “Well, it’s no secret how I feel about the homeless!” He quickly added, “Except the mental ones.”
‘Except the mental ones?’ That sounds just like, ‘and they’re very aggressive’ from Baton Rouge. When I heard those March words, I quickly turned off my radio and thought about the comment made by the host of the mourning show. I was surprised, but not jock-shocked. I used to work with the celebrity that made that comment. He was one of the people that influenced me to get out of ‘the business’ and to get involved with the homeless almost twenty years ago.
Here's another headline:
Orlando moves to limit mass meals to the homeless.
If charitable groups want to feed the homeless in Orlando, they'll have to find someplace other than city parks -– or city property -- to do it. An ordinance was passed by the city council that states, “No one can feed groups of 15 or more people without a one-time-use permit, and such permits shall be issued no more than twice a year to one person, and the city will dictate the location of the group feeding.”
Cool. I get it and I agree. If charitable organizations want to feed the homeless and hungry in groups larger than 14 at a time, they should open their churches, their homes and other private property, as well as their hearts to the poor, the homeless, the elderly and the disabled. When Christ fed thousands at a time, He set the crowd down (in groups), blessed the food (in portions), and gave the food to His disciples. His disciples then passed the food on, with all the blessings, to the smaller groups (Matt 14).
I’ve feed more than 300 people on the streets in one day, some in groups of more than 60 people at one time. It was nuts! I’d rather feed many small groups one at a time, than one large group all at one time. It's common sense. Plus, it’s more respectful to the hungry folks, it’s easier to hear each individual, and the food tastes better!
It shouldn’t be any problem for nonprofits in Orlando or the Twin Cities or any city to feed small groups. If the hungry are many, make more groups and get more ‘disciples’ to pass on the blessings. Then, feed the small groups in city parks, on city sidewalks or under city bridges, if that’s what the city wants. Better yet, respect the rights of every city citizen and fellowship with the hungry and poor out of the sights and minds of bigoted bullies that would label these people ‘tramps’ and ‘bums’ (or ‘mental ones’) before they get to know them.
Feeding and caring for the poor, the homeless, the elderly and the disabled isn’t rocket science! All it takes is one compassionate person to do one quiet act of random kindness, with respect … times a million persons. If society, especially Christian society, could muster up the million, I bet there wouldn’t be any homeless in Orlando, Baton Rouge or the Twin Cities.
Hey, if we can’t find one million people to each do one good thing, then let's at least find a million people who won’t do a million bad things. It would be a start to ending homelessness, as we know it. And it wouldn’t take headlines or a Ten Year Plan.
I invest some of my time studying issues concerning the homeless from across the globe. It’s easy to research topics on the internet, and I subscribe to a few news groups that specifically address homeless issues. I’m always surprised to learn that while cultures and colors may change, cruel attitudes and malicious opinions about the poor and homeless know no borders.
Here are some headlines I uncovered yesterday concerning the homeless:
Baton Rouge will use horse patrols to deal with homeless.
"We recognize that post-Katrina, our homeless population has grown. We want to protect the rights of these individuals, but we certainly want to protect citizens from any harassment," stated an administrator from the mayor’s office.
Some of the City’s homeless problem likely involves ‘citizens’ and is a result of Katrina, worsened by the bungling efforts of FEMA. I wonder why the City’s homeless are considered ‘these individuals’, and not ‘citizens’ by the mayor’s office? As long as officials see the homeless as ‘a singular and separable group’ apart from the community, any community efforts to help the homeless will be futile, unless covert.
A metro Council member added “Since Katrina there has been a huge influx of, for lack of a better word, tramps or bums or panhandlers. And they’re very aggressive.”
People use words like ‘tramp’ or ‘bum’ to describe all homeless people out of ignorance and lack of respect, not for lack of a better word. Then the same people usually have to add thoughtless last words trying to justify their bigoted opinions.
Such prejudice against the homeless shouldn’t be surprising to the ‘citizens’ of the Twin Cities. We need no headlines.
Radio shows in our area frequently blast the homeless. I came across such a diatribe on a popular morning show last March. The program’s host interrupted an onslaught of homeless jokes and insults to exclaim, “Well, it’s no secret how I feel about the homeless!” He quickly added, “Except the mental ones.”
‘Except the mental ones?’ That sounds just like, ‘and they’re very aggressive’ from Baton Rouge. When I heard those March words, I quickly turned off my radio and thought about the comment made by the host of the mourning show. I was surprised, but not jock-shocked. I used to work with the celebrity that made that comment. He was one of the people that influenced me to get out of ‘the business’ and to get involved with the homeless almost twenty years ago.
Here's another headline:
Orlando moves to limit mass meals to the homeless.
If charitable groups want to feed the homeless in Orlando, they'll have to find someplace other than city parks -– or city property -- to do it. An ordinance was passed by the city council that states, “No one can feed groups of 15 or more people without a one-time-use permit, and such permits shall be issued no more than twice a year to one person, and the city will dictate the location of the group feeding.”
Cool. I get it and I agree. If charitable organizations want to feed the homeless and hungry in groups larger than 14 at a time, they should open their churches, their homes and other private property, as well as their hearts to the poor, the homeless, the elderly and the disabled. When Christ fed thousands at a time, He set the crowd down (in groups), blessed the food (in portions), and gave the food to His disciples. His disciples then passed the food on, with all the blessings, to the smaller groups (Matt 14).
I’ve feed more than 300 people on the streets in one day, some in groups of more than 60 people at one time. It was nuts! I’d rather feed many small groups one at a time, than one large group all at one time. It's common sense. Plus, it’s more respectful to the hungry folks, it’s easier to hear each individual, and the food tastes better!
It shouldn’t be any problem for nonprofits in Orlando or the Twin Cities or any city to feed small groups. If the hungry are many, make more groups and get more ‘disciples’ to pass on the blessings. Then, feed the small groups in city parks, on city sidewalks or under city bridges, if that’s what the city wants. Better yet, respect the rights of every city citizen and fellowship with the hungry and poor out of the sights and minds of bigoted bullies that would label these people ‘tramps’ and ‘bums’ (or ‘mental ones’) before they get to know them.
Feeding and caring for the poor, the homeless, the elderly and the disabled isn’t rocket science! All it takes is one compassionate person to do one quiet act of random kindness, with respect … times a million persons. If society, especially Christian society, could muster up the million, I bet there wouldn’t be any homeless in Orlando, Baton Rouge or the Twin Cities.
Hey, if we can’t find one million people to each do one good thing, then let's at least find a million people who won’t do a million bad things. It would be a start to ending homelessness, as we know it. And it wouldn’t take headlines or a Ten Year Plan.
posted by Kelly at 8:00 AM
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