Is SF Fed Up with Homelessness? What Took so Long?
So, the people of this city have finally had enough of the homeless problem?
Good.
It’s about time, and let me say to all of you, “Welcome to the club,” because you can rest assured that every homeless person, every service provider, and every advocate in this city is just as tired as you, and all of us are delighted that you finally came on board, even if you are about twenty years too late.
It was about that long ago when advocates for the homeless began asking for your cooperation in addressing this tragedy. However, at that time all of you were turning your back on the problem because it wasn’t your community that was being affected by this crisis. All of you who now see the light and are so ready to begin pointing fingers—most likely at the ones who are victimized by this mess—must first point the finger at yourselves because you were forewarned at a time when it was a much simpler problem and solutions weren’t very far away. Now, unfortunately, it has developed into a nationwide tragedy, and as usual in this country, the ones who count the most (Joe Public) weren’t there when they were needed the most.
You were all kicked back enjoying the comforts of home and family while the less fortunate Americans were falling through the domestic cracks in this nation left and right. Your contention then was to rely on the government to address the matter. It was their responsibility.
Remember when then President Ronald Reagan refused to acknowledge that there was a homeless problem in America? Ain’t that something?
The media, one of the biggest culprits in this mess, which is now fanning the flames of “can’t stand those homeless people,” had an opportunity to cooperate with the community to find solutions to the problem, yet they chose to play politics with the matter, wouldn’t print the truth, and kept the issue on the back burner so as not to upset whatever agenda was being fed to the public at that time by whoever was in charge. Now, here they are again with more of their hypocritical comments and attitudes, and once again helping to deceive the mind of the public as to the real nature of the problem, and as usual there are those of us living in denial as to our social responsibility’ to the less-fortunate, which at one time was the “great American Way.” Does anyone remember?
What we all must understand is that “homelessness” is America’s greatest failure, and it is a failure that we all must share as true Americans. It is a by-product of greed, selfishness, and neglect that reaches far into the moral fiber of this nation. There are homeless families now, and none of you stood up to complain that children were being victimized by homelessness.
Quality of life issues? Defecating, urinating, and sleeping in your doorway?
Homelessness is also dehumanizing, and hopelessness is its closest companion. How can we allow ‘hope’ to get lost in a nation as prosperous as America? Keeping hope alive is the ultimate mission of mankind, especially in America, the richest, most resourceful, and supposedly most compassionate nation on the planet. Would you believe the number of veterans— those who have fought the wars of this nation to preserve our liberties and freedoms—who are homeless in this nation? You are fed up? How do you think they feel?
How do you think the homeless mother feels who has to get her kids ready for school in the back seat of her car, washing their faces in gas station and McDonald’s restrooms? Don’t you think she is also sick and tired? How do you think homeless seniors feel, who have worked all their lives, raised families, sent their kids to college, paid into the system, and then found themselves living on the street or in a single-room occupancy hotel room because their Social Security check can’t pay the high-ass rent in this city because of the greedy landlords? Don’t forget about adults with disabilities who sleep in alley-ways in their wheel chairs. You are tired?
Okay, so now we are all tired at the same time… so where do we go from here, tired San Franciscans? But hold on for a minute because the game can’t begin until all the players are on the field. Wait until the problem reaches the doorsteps of those on Russian Hill, Twin Peaks, the Sunset, etc. Then we can start talking to one another about a solution. The bringing together of the class structure of this city will be done when everybody wakes up one day and finds poop on one of their corners and someone sleeping in their doorway. One thing that Mayor Gavin Newsome has been saying to all of you all along is that San Francisco can solve its own homeless problem, and I sincerely believe that. But we have got to work together to get it done. So keep on getting tired, scream at the top of your voice, get frustrated, throw tantrums… When you get finished and come back down to earth, stop by and let’s see what we all can do to address this problem. But quit blaming those who are homeless and those who help them, because they have been warning you of how bad things are all along.
Bobby
