Another article written on LA Indy was full of comments that derided the author as if that answered the question of how the everywhere-living-homeless in LA have used up what were spaces intended for the general public - for children, for athletes, for elderly, for the tired, the disabled, the visitors. And no blame is made but the reality is noted and forthrightly stated. No PC necessary. No attack the writer is needed. No solutions are available, apparently.
Home-free-less-people are occupying public areas - without a political agenda or connection to anything more than taking up space where they can find it and claim it regardless of how it affects all others.
Those living and paying for their space - and roofs, amenities, utilities plus whatever - can fit in their small space are asked to "help their brothers" - as most of those who live on streets turn out to be male, and many are older or disabled ones. Fair to all concerned ? no.
Are they willingly or forcibly paying for the non-rent of pubic spaces may be a question if they pay taxes for land, upkeep, and all the increased social services required.
The famous USA government and it’s employees - supposedly paid for by taxed publics and lobbyists and frauds -are unwilling to solve or even see the problem that all the other urbanites live within... while living in paid-for-spaces while surrounded by those too poor or unable to pay or maintain some indoor living spaces.
Take a bus-stop corner that has been Occupied by a dirty persistent man, who has spread out to the edge of sidewalk and store - living in a public space that has become so unsanitary that every bus rider or any person walking that street winces, holds their nose, calls the City councilperson, and worries they have been disease contaminated from breathing in that area. True story. Not made up. Experienced repeatedly.
Any passerby is despaired of trying to find someone in government responsible to change this takeover. Seems like ‘no one can’ change it.
To walk by this disheveled dirty old man, one has to step onto the traffic of the street, or step in urine and in food thrown on sidewalk, and to listen to rants and insults, and to wonder why washed people are living in such fancy neighborhoods together with this [surely mentally ill ] homeless man.
The bus stop bench [a commercial company pays for it] was removed but the same man returned to his favorite spot anyhow - because it is his "home" now. What would any normal person do? the same ? The store is continually calling LAPD when the man disturbs customers or people complain about the store's responsibility in this scene [for the city sidewalk? ].
The fun writing of many other Indy commentators … :
their saying of course, there should be homes for all, paid for by whom and agreed to by whom ? That somehow someones will pay for such living spaces, someone else, of course. That some vague nebulous organization like a govt will take care of housing all it’s citizen and immigrants too. That ‘it should be….” but is not so. How easy *to write* it off so simply.
The pleasure of idealizing that of course 'everyone' should have a home in the USA because we are so rich [and generous too ? ].
The delusion of assuming 'someone else' will take care of these outdoorsy people who are only living on sidewalks, benches, storefront or cubby holes in any buildings because they are poorer or victims of someone else…but this generalization is not logical.
The easy words to say of what "should be" vs. what IS happening, and not only in LA, but worldwide - as we hear it from our visiting tourists and foreigners too.
Of course, India and Asia and even China is known for this way of life … but that is not suitable to our fancy lifestyles…those living near Hollywood and even any ethnic neighborhood in Los Angeles or Orange county…. each ethnic group screams about "get them out of here !" as loudly as any other upper priced ones do. We do not live like "that" ! all shout. We wish.
So many prefer to repeat the same old same msg. of how the homeless are sacred, treasures, helpless, sweet, lovable and will be taken care of….by whom ?
What living out on the streets, beaches, parks is like, is experienced, is known, whether any commentators here have lived it or not – doesn’t answer the question of space and who has or uses or usurps what, when, for how long and does not share.
Those who cant take care of themselves in a more customary way, as in living in any shelter, indoors, in a hut or camp or squat house or a railroad car [as was the romanticized version that was not better then than now either ] are living in other people's yards, sidewalks, on bus benches, in public-parks, and do what they do because they can...and truthfully, they dont care if anyone else doesn’t like it !
Ask the homeless if they are concerned at all about no one else being able to also use those spaces they have taken.
The LAPD has 'more important' business to do and doesn’t like repeat visitors in their overfilled jails. The so-called-social agencies that are suppose to find solutions and living spaces indoors for those in 'need' are stumped by some homeless who do not like the shelters or the spaces that are found for them. And social-workers do not make policy or have power or influence over finances to provide homes, spaces for all those who end up street-wise-street-stuck.
As previously was commented, as anybody can give euphemisms and fancy throw-away lines like : “they should have.... everyone should ...” is just blabbering and passing the chore on elsewhere.
Most assume it is someone else's responsibility, and so on... they do not and would not like some stranger living right alongside them or in their spaces, discarding body fluids and junk food packages and dirty clothes in their living [in or outside] spaces.
Soooo easy to talk, so hard to deal with, in actuality.
And it is not a 'fault' or cold-heart, or any Rand mentality that is conveniently used to accuse anyone else of forthrightly saying what all do see, feel, smell, or turn away from themselves.
This is difficult for all, and the homeless who are also difficult to work with because of attitudes, paranoias, severe mental diagnoses, addictions or long outdoorsy experiences where they have survived so far – they are not agreeing to move. It is "our park now" is the usual answer.
It is "my space" now, as no one else can walk, pass, nor tolerate the unhygienic conditions the homeless have created in their own unaware or ‘I cant help it’ ways.
To never blame anyone for what they do or where they have gotten to is the usual liberal wishful thinking - that we are ALL VICTIMS somehow - and no one is ever responsible...not for drug taking, not for continuing addictions, not for their 'oh so sad a childhood' or ' had bad parenting' [the most blamed victims are parents in this USA] - then nothing improves because there is no one Responsible !
And to how easy and wrong it is for others to just assume that this writer knows not how it is - to live as a homeless person - just because of what else is said and thought. How easy it is to accuse and try to be one-up or be superior as a one-down to this writer… how easy it is to write whatever and claim to know it all. ugh
The story stays the same however it is told.
The public city spaces that are spare and sparse and rare are now lived in by homeless people who may have few other choices - but who have assumed they now 'live' there - and so no one else can use those spaces....not the children, not the athletes, not the elderly, not the visitors, not the neighbors.
Not ok.
Original: Home-less-free occupying is not a free ride either