Hard Times In Paradise

[HARDCORE]

If you listen to some of our politicos, we never had it so good? And those who do admit to hardening times are quick to blame the other guy, as in political party!

I can not speak for the rest of our nation, but I do reside in the high outback of San Diego County. And unlike those swank flops down in the flatlands, it gets damned cold and windy hereabouts! Many an illegal who treks the mountains to the east of the big city to avoid detection, finds himself in dire straits when the weather turns, and it can do just that in a heartbeat! (Feeling nice and warm and snug about now are you?) The Border Patrol does it?s damnedest to rescue these people, but each and every year, many still fall victim to the elements (RIP)!

I just read a piece that genuinely displays the utter frustration felt by many of the homeless. It seems that a 70 year old man, down on his luck and homeless, pulled a pocket knife on a clerk in a cut-rate gas station, demanding money! The clerk presented the old gent with the entire contents of the register - $65.

The aged-bandito then told the clerk to notify the law, calmly walked outside, sat upon the curb and awaited arrest! It turns out that this sickly old gentleman was homeless, cold, tired and hungry. The whole idea from the start was to get arrested and thrown into jail where he would receive food, a warm sack and medical care! ?NOW DOESN?T THAT SPEAK VOLUMES ABOUT OUR SOCIETY?? And before this winter (forecast to be severe in places) is over, many more men, women and children could die of exposure and hunger upon our streets of America!

This year, even in a ?Tourist Paradise like San Diego?, it has been predicted that a multitude of entire families will be left to the mercies of the streets, and if you have never been there, you have nothing to compare it to! The State of California itself, has cut back dramatically on emergency shelters, as has the rest of the nation too, I am sure! ?And yet, some in power still proclaim amazement at any social unrest!?? After all, are there no shelters, work houses, poor farms or jails in which to stick the less fortunate!? (Happy Holidays, One And All!)

Approximately $750,000 (total for all four winter months) has been (in the past) spent in San Diego for emergency shelter (according to a local rag). But you may also recall that a huge chunk of charitable gift$, donated for various purposes - including disaster relief in this area (and others), has in the past, been sliced right of the top for (so-called) administrative costs!? ?The good life for a few - don?t come cheap!??

This money, chump-change to most politicians, supplies a little warmth, food, shelter and security, during the harsh winter months (December through March). And yet, most of those situated on the inside of Eden, tend to look down upon the less fortunate and refer to the poor, the elderly, the sick and the homeless children of our nation, as a burden to society!? ?BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD!!?

This year, San Diego (named after Saint James, no less), is catering to single adults only at some of their homeless shelters, and even at this (according to that local rag) many will have to be turned away. ?Correct me if I am wrong, but does this mean that women and children, the most vulnerable segment of our society, will be treated worse than dogs?? Hell, even a local councilwoman saw the sinful folly of this (Not so small) ?Crime Against American Humanity? when she said, and I quote: ?The City (San Diego, although it could be any city, anywhere USA) can send (BIG) money to send an (affluent) task force dealing with Chargers (Football Team) issues to Denver to check out that City?s stadium, but does not have money to deal with (our own) people who are homeless and need winter and family shelters!? (Of course, the parenthesized rhetoric and commentary is mine alone!)

And yet another local council-person, although agreeing that the City (San Diego) should not be spending unwisely (as far as that Pro Football Team), said that: ?The blame for the current situation (Winter Homelessness I Assume?), should be put on the State and Federal Government that shortchanged us!??

Of course, while all of this callous buck-passing continues to heat up the bureaucratic air at numerous city halls around the nation, many of our very own people (veterans included) continue to become the victims of a scant few uncaring cusses in lofty places! As a matter of fact, some years back, I had to make a trip to Washington DC, and the gent that picked me up for a ride to a local company, gave me a quick tour of the Nation?s Capitol. This tour was in the dead of winter and I can still recall the people (entire homeless families) that were crammed tightly together for warmth over the metal vents in parks near the
capitol buildings! ?I wonder if this is what was meant by - ?SEND ME YOUR HUDDLED MASSES??

Of course, no such environmental problems exist within the White House, Capitol Building, Supreme Court, etc, etc! The accommodations there are warm and secure, and the chow and benefits first cabin! After all, the people of this great nation of ours would never let it?s government freeze or starve!! ?We have far more class than that!!?

VERITAS

[Boats]

Hardcore,

We've got the same thing in Chicago. They live under Wacker Drive and some have for years. I don't know what it is but we have shelters for these souls to go. Yet, most are mentally ill an need more than a place to sleep and eat.

Today many are asking for help. Who do you help and how often? I often wonder why things are like they are but many of our social fallouts are really sick individuals.

A few are x-military but most are those poorly uneducated and left to live alone since no family members will take the respondsibility for them.

Medication cost are high (very high) to take on a burden (and many won't let their families take on this burden) run away because of pride. Today our kids are struggling to make ends meet. They have to work two jobs (both husband and wife) or one has to work two jobs just to make ends meet.

I can't imagine having one of my kids take care of me it would be a great burden and very stressfull to them. So I'm not sure what I would do?

Many of us want to help but you don't really know who to trust. You don't know what organization is really on the up and up or just a front for someone to make a buck.

Many states today are almost bankrupt because of the lack of funds. The bottom has fallen out for many lately. The idea of trying to help so many is frustrating. After all whose going to pay for all of this? You know in the long run we will by taxes or by crime.

We have a strong Country and ours alone is not the only one with transient people. Europe too has seen an increase in street people. It's a humanity issue and a tough one to address yet alone support finanicaly.

Chicago is suppose to have a cold winter this year I'm sure we will be reading about those with no heat or frozen to death in the streets. We will all feel this loss in one way or another.

Our Country needs to pull up the boot straps and find a way to be more productive, more dependable and more compassionate.
We are too busy trying to take care of our own to take on the burden of those who need our help as well.

Hardcore I don't have a good answer but I can relate to the issues that put us in this position. Maybe some of our Brothers and Sister's can tell us what the answer is? I just don't have any idea even where to begin?

It's a sad day in bedrock.

[daniel topliffe]

one thought...
fill up one abandoned prison with all
the homeless and needy...there is no ready answer...it's a shame all the billions that disappears or is wasted in the world couldn't be 'found' and spent for humane purposes such as this we speak...