People Count!

Today was the day that hundreds of volunteers hit the streets of Long Beach for the biannual homeless count. It was awesome to see so many people counting...and to see that ALL people count.

We live in a "throw away" culture. For too long we have been tossing out whatever we don't like, whatever we have left. We've been buying disposable and filling the landfills with trash, throwing things "away" as if there IS such a place as "away."

And we've done the same thing with people. Collectively, we've trashed whole populations based on whether we felt they were needed or wanted...choosing those we prefer to keep around using arbitrary distinctions like race or culture and making it all seem palatable by emphasizing what is different about us rather than considering our common humanity.

People with mental illness, and the many who end up homeless (for whatever reason!) have been pushed to the very bottom of the heap. Heck, we've found all sorts of innovative ways to recycle plastic but can't seem to figure out what to "do" with people who seem different.

What we need is a reevaluation of our perspective. Why do we think that certain people have nothing to offer, and quickly label them a "burden" to society? Why do we focus on need rather than gift? It may take a little extra effort, but it seems to me that a consideration of the formidable assets of people we've trashed would be of immeasurable benefit to EVERYONE.