Can you feel the love?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. How can people be so heartless?

There must be a reason that people who are normally pretty nice, even kind, can somehow talk about or treat other human beings in such a hurtful and hateful way.

Is it the smell?

Is it fear that perhaps, one day, they too will be homeless?

Is it the sometimes strange behavior, as if we don't all act a little weird sometimes?

Thomas Edison was rather fond of a quote that reminded him of the vast energy and creativity expended to avoid the real work that needs to be done...and in the case of people who are homeless, I think there's an application.

Here in the city of Long Beach we've worked long and hard to come up with all kinds of reasons why we shouldn't help people, even to the point of suggesting that having homeless people ride the bus to an assistance program will increase our carbon footprint.

HUH?

So here's the deal: most of the homeless in Long Beach are people from Long Beach. Long Beach is not a "magnet" for homelessness, nor can it be substantiated that offering programs to help them will increase their numbers (folks, these are people, not rabbits...or rats). Homeless people are not more violent than the general public (in fact, they are more often the victims of violence than the general population, probably due to exposure). The homeless are at increased risk of health problems.

The truth is, people are dying at our feet, and we've spent most of our time trying to figure out how NOT to help them.