Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Why Do Liberal-Run Cities Tolerate The "Homeless"?

In my previous post, I commented that on our family road trip through No. Cal., one thing that was striking in Eureka, Sacramento and San Francisco is an unbelievable tolerance for the so-called "homeless" and the effect that it has to have on non-residents of these bergs.
Our first stop was San Francisco. I admit, I love visiting this town. There is a feel in San Francisco that is different than anywhere else on the Left Coast. But what brings it down is the rampant "homeless" population. And it is not confined to the low-rent district. It is all over town. Downtown, Uptown, Nob Hill, The Tenderloin. You name it and there they are. The "homeless".
Note that the good, lefty legislators of San Francisco city and county, it is one and the same, another oddity, have gone so far as to provide free, public toilets for the "homeless" population.
Yet as Mrs. Right View From The Left Coast and I were walking from City Hall, a beautiful edifice, to the BART station to return to our hotel in South San Francisco, there was a clearly disturbed, unbathed "homeless" man, muttering and yelling at the same time. We stopped our walking and pretended to look at something so the clearly disturbed "homeless" man could go ahead of us. He did. But, when we turned the corner, so did he. And instead of urinating in one of the taxpayer provided public toilets, Mr. "Homeless" proceeded to go into a corner of a building, whip out Mr. Happy and urinate right for all to see.
Nice.
And it just got better as we encountered a slew of "homeless" that clearly were mentally disturbed, drunk, or high on drugs. Hell, most seemed all of the above. This was just past the very high-end Tenderloin district of Baghdad By The Bay. It is home to one of the longest running porn shows in the world. Not an area to take the family.
While that was in the early evening hours, it did not get any better in broad daylight. And at a supposed family friendly area, Fisherman's Wharf.
There we were treated to another assortment of beggars, drug-addled, alcoholics and just plain lazy people.
For me, the highlight was the couple that used one man's disability as a way to beg for the cash.
It revolted me. For some reason, it non-plussed Mrs. Right View From The Left Coast.
San Francisco is notorious for such a policy regarding "homeless" people. It not only seems to tolerate them, it seems to encourage them to come on in. Going so far as providing toilets specifically for the "homeless".
Let me move on to Eureka.
It is another animal altogether.
Eureka is next to the college town of Arcata, home of Humboldt State University. Humboldt State is very well known as a place where the ol' Mary Jane is tolerated. Among the students.
Well, it appears that there are a helluva lot of Humboldt State drop outs roaming the streets of Eureka and Arcata. Unlike their compadres in San Francisco, these "homeless" do not push shopping carts. No siree, Bob! They have camping backpack and will travel. And I never saw so many White boys with dreadlocks. Such poseurs!
And yet, these guys and gals were roaming the streets, begging for cash. No doubt to score some weed or other mind-altering substance. And these "homeless" were not typical down-and-outers. These "homeless" clearly came from middle-class backgrounds. It appeared that most were in their 20s or early 30s. Some seemed that they were trying to live a Hobo's life and not bother anyone. Even the gentleman in the public park with his camping backpack. And a machete. I guess he was prepared for the bears. Maybe a deer. Who knows.
The most offensive sight was a young gal in front of the McDonalds near our hotel.
There she was sitting on her rump with a sign, and I am paraphrasing it because I did not have a camera to take a photo.
"I am dreaming of a Big and Tasty burger and fries" .
I just railed at poor Mrs. Right View From The Left Coast. Why did not this gal get up off of her rump and put in a J O B application? Maybe if she was hired, an at least 50/50 possibility, she would stop dreaming and start chowing! Right? I guess this gal is living the Hobo dream and the food is but an afterthought.
In this part of California, a lot of people can best be described as living "off the grid". The problem was telling the difference from those with some kind of shelter from those living on the streets.
Now Sacramento, the "homeless" seemed to be confined to the Downtown area. And no where near the capitol building. But here too, there are way too many and the tolerance is way too high.
I know what many of you are thinking.
Yea, it is all that heartless Reagan's fault. He closed down all the mental hospitals and let loose these people on our society.
Yes, former governor Ronald Reagan did close many places where people like this could be in. Out from the cold. Three squares a day. Yet please understand, Mr. Reagan was not alone. He had help from lefty do-gooders that saw these places as more inhuman than if these people were "free". And it was a time that the clear abuses in these institutions were coming out. And people rightfully felt sorry for many of those confined.
Yet we went from keeping these people in to letting them out. And the society as a whole has suffered.
One other note on the demographics that I saw.
There were no families of homeless. No moms and dads and children. I know that there are many. And these are the people that we must help get their act together. These are the ones that probably end up truly homeless through no or little fault of their own.
One thing that must change is our overall view of the "homeless"
We must not tolerate them. We have to go beyond the shelters, the Rescue Missions that people of faith run. We have to get those with addictions help. It does not just come from the government, folks. It comes from secular and religious charities. We must change the laws so that people not able to take care of themselves have someone responsible and truly caring make the right decisions. That means, yes, confining them in some kind of institution for their own good. If there are able-bodied young people as I evidenced in Eureka, get them to do some work around town. You know, clean up the park, not camp in it. Find something that they can put some of their God-given talent to use.
Tolerating those that choose to be "homeless" is not helpful to them and to the society as a whole.
We need to change our attitude. We need to go from providing toilets to a way out of their condition.
I admit, I do not have a clear-cut answer. I shared something. I want to read what you think. Maybe we will be in more agreement than disagreement. But all I know is that the three cities I gave as examples are one of the bad effects of lefty do-goodism.

4 comments:

Rightwingsnarkle said...

What a shame you were treated to such unpleasant sights. I can understand why you want to just put 'em all in camps.

Then again, wouldn't it be cheaper just to have 'em all shot?

f.s. said...

It is heartening to see that you are willing to pay the additional taxes needed to re-institutionalize and rehabilitate California's homeless population. I'm certain that you will be able to convince your local Taxed Enough Already group to make the same commitment.

Esteev said...

Ugh, I know what you mean, I hate the "homeless" too. Get a job you DFH! Side note, it feels soooo much better to put homeless "in quotes". It's almost like they don't exist -- which would be sweet. But I digress..

I noticed at the top of you're blog you have quoted John 3:16 (suuch a good quote, and I haven't heard it since I watched wrestling 15 years ago). Anyway, I was just wondering if you are a complete hypocrite everyday or just weekdays. Last I checked, Jesus was all about helping those who can't help themselves -- and I'm sure that's a good description of the "homeless".

What I'm getting at is this: your feeble attempt at somehow demonizing Leftist for helping the poor and "least of my brothers" is exactly what that "only begotten son" you fake worship would have done. The best part is, you don't even see that. And for this nonbeliever it is so refreshing to see someone blather on about convictions when, in reality, they have none.

Great work.

Jesus said...

I hate poor people, too.