Good Afternoon;
This is a link to a 'Poverty Insights' story by Joel John Roberts on the topic of Compassion vs. Anger regarding attitudes toward the homeless:
Being homeless my self I must say I have more empathy with Susan and Jamie, the first two property owners described in the story. In Susan's case it is obvious, in Jamie's case...well in my experience, most people I have encountered sleeping in and under, doorways, alcoves, or porticoes of homes or businesses on public thoroughfares, basically out in public, are usually dirtier and smell accordingly worse then those seek out more private areas, (and of course there are exceptions to both sides, and this is based on my broad in relation to the city, but limited in relation to other locales, experiences), and the pavement and porches and steps on which they sleep and congregate hold a lingering foulness, of sweat and urine, and occasionally feces and rotten food.
[Check out some of the bus/light rail shelters along North Howard St., and the old Greyhound terminal entrance portico, (now property of The Maryland Historical society), and some of the old style recessed store fronts, both occupied and vacant businesses, along Broadway in Upper Fells Point.]
I firmly believe in the 'Housing First' model to address homelessness, but compassion for those who defile the property and tranquility of their neighbors, and lower property values and safety through habits and actions that are avoidable.......only stretches so far. Like the homeless, owners and residents have rights also.
And speaking of actions that only serve to exacerbate a stereotype through negative reinforcement;
Today I rode the Light Rail between Cultural Center/State Center and Mt. Washington with the 'White Trash Poster Family'.
While 'Dope fiend dad' DannyJoe was nodding off and dropping pizza all over the floor and dumping a 32 oz. Coke all over the adjoining seat where it soaked deep into the fabric and padding.....
'Meth-head-mom' MyrtleLou was 'tweaking and geeking' like a paranoid Speedy Gonzalez with the palsy, putting her dark glasses on and off ever 10 seconds and bouncing and twisting in the seat trying to look in every direction at once and being spooked every time she moved by her own reflection in the window as she nervously picked at a piece of KFC fried chicken strewing the greasy shreds all over the floor and seats....and her 2 darling children.....who were screaming and fighting over brother's baseball cap, kicking over 2 more sodas on the floor as they wrestled and wrangled.....
The son was the spitting image of "Bobby Hill" from 'King Of The Hill', in both manner, personality, looks, sound, and intelligence.
His 3 year old sister was kicking the hell out of him as she swilled Coke from her baby bottle.....until mom gave them both some "Pink Tongue Candy"....aka 'Benadryl quick dissolve strips'.
As the stroller kept rolling and tipping over with each acceleration and deceleration of the train.
And across the aisle were some pre-teen junior crack whores and their babies augmenting their children's staple diet of 'boosted' Enfamil and lead paint chips with a healthy snack of FFs floating in hot sauce, and baby bottles filled, (Right There In Front Of Me....No Exaggerating!!!!), with either RedBull or Rock Star, depending on which one mommy was drinking, (along with shortys, [quarter pints] of cheap brandy....which they did not share with the babies....until later while breast feeding!). All the while screeching like magpies at the top of their lungs into their cell phones in fluent Ebonics, while their gold toothed, back alley tattooed, pants to their thighs-ass hanging out, FFA, (Future Felons of America), blunt smoking, rap shouting, sullen, defiant, arms crossed, baby's-daddy's glared at all the white folks in an attempt to look 'bad', as they spit on the floor, (and occasionally them selves.....LMAO!!!!!!!!!!).
I was getting off as 4 'Metro Cops', (MTA Police) boarded, 2 at each door of the train car.....and was walking away laughing as a whole lot of WTFs, YO-MFs, & Bitches and other choice expletives began to turn the air blue.....lol! One of the Jamaican guy's who works at Whole Foods was walking with me shaking his head. He looked at me and said in that delightful, sing-song island patois...."Sometimes I tink Jah be needin' to be sendin' another very specific plague down from his heaven......his garden be needin' some weedin'....de mutations be overunnin' de healthy stock!" I opened my mouth,......but nothing came out....
He said, "Yah mon, be betta yo say nuttin'...........I and I can get away wit it", and started laughing.
Funny, Sad, Sick, & True....
I've got to get up off the new bench seating here now......'numb nuts' is not just a middle school insult, it's an actual description of a not very fun physiological sensation.....or should I say...."lack of"?!..............lol.
Ow...ow....ow....ow, kinda like when your leg falls asleep...and the wakes up as blood flow returns......on a much more intimate level!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ow....ow.....ow.....ow!
Later............................Dave
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