Homelessness in America

I want to tell you about something you probably aren't comfortable thinking about head-on. Homelessness ... that thing you might ignore a lot and hope it's being handled. That thing that absolutely is not being handled at all. That elephant in the room that happens to have eaten half the people in it.

The fact is, we have more empty homes than homeless. The second is that housing them all would actually cost less than either shoving them in prisons as we do today, or just leaving the homes unoccupied. This is because people who are sheltered have an easier time getting to food, transportation, and other services that allow them entry into the workforce. We scream "Get a job", but would you hire the stinking old man off the street? I didn't think so.

"Welfare is bad!" they will cry. And sure, I get what your thought might be there. The thing is, trickle down economics never did work in the fist place and all studies show that trickle up does. The bank bailout would have been far more effective handed to those with the toxic mortgages. Did they work for that? Is that fair? No ... and it isn't fair that you were born into the opportunities you used to become somebody who wants to believe they were never handed anything. But you were ... you were handed a family and opportunities. At the bare minimum, because many of you actually have experienced poverty and homelessness (and this place is for you ...), you were given at some point an opportunity. More importantly, somebody else was passed over for that same opportunity and did not have it.

How do we solve all of this? Rat park. Basically we provide a solid safety net of housing, food, education, medical/dental/psychiatric care, and job opportunity protections. I'm saying we take money away from "National Security" and put it into securing the welfare of our nation. The security, as it were. I'm saying I feel safer with a home than a military, and I feel more free with the ability to quit my job and take another at will. From every angle other than "But that isn't fair", it all works.

So ask yourself ... is fairness that damn important to you? Please ... walk your town at dusk, and look closely at the faces in the streets. Look at them, at their eyes and see into them. Let yourself feel their hurt and pain and isolation and total betrayal ... and then tell me.

Is it fair?