It's in the news this morning in the Corvallis Gazette Times that Benton County is hiring a mental health counselor for the homeless. Boy, that's going to solve the problem. It may help but it is not going to solve the problem for housing, the lack of medical resources, the lack of money, the lack of support structure, and the myriad of other problems that result when a society doesn't value people.
We need universal health care. We need to realize that there needs to be a basic level of care for all people. Every human being alive has potential to accomplish something positive in society, IF basic care is given. Some human beings have the genetics and genius to solve world problems and invent new solutions but if these people are homeless struggling to survive, eat, keep warm, and find a safe home, they cannot possibly contribute to our society. We lose. Genius doesn't just come from the richest 5% who have the money to nurture talent. Most often it comes in all skin colors, and all economic levels.
Why isn't housing built for the homeless? Churches who say they care about the homeless, should get together to build apartment buildings for the homeless.
I find it interesting that people who say they care about the homeless think that the homeless should have the opportunity to go wherever they want in downtown Corvallis or any city. The homeless have unique and special problems. When the homeless are given free range of any city, often a city changes. People start to stay away from downtown businesses because they are harrassed by homeless people. Once I visited a downtown grocery store. I got into my car and was putting on my seat belt. I looked out my windshield and saw a homeless guy in front of my car stomping on a bicycle. He was violent. I pressed the button for all my doors to lock. I couldn't leave my parking space because I was blocked. I tried to not cause attention to myself and waited for him to leave. This isn't okay. It isn't safe. It makes people not want to shop in the downtown stores where homeless people are allowed to wander.
The homeless are not bad people. They are people who have been thrown away by society and no longer valued. They are people who have lost their support system. Sometimes they have medical and drug abuse issues. Sometimes they have mental health problems. When budgets cut back on services to people and no longer served, it is a disaster waiting to happen. One mental health worker for the homeless isn't going to solve all the problems.
Anyone who has enough bad luck, loses their job and support system could find themselves homeless. They are no different from anyone else. They are people who are stressed to their limits. I've never been homeless but I feel compassion for those who are.
Maybe there should be centers built in areas of each state that are out in the country and not close to any population areas. All resources could be at these centers to uplift, encourage, and heal these people to get them ready to move into society as contributing adults. The centers should teach self sufficiency. They could grow their own food, learn to build their own buildings, learn to govern themselves, learn business, and heal.
All people matter, all people are of worth and not just the richest 5% of the population with all the money.
When I hear the rich grumbling and saying that they have it so hard, I roll my eyes. Some of the richest people want to leave Manhattan because they don't want to pay the taxes. Shame on them for being so selfish! Maybe the rich can't buy every toy they want now or change mansions every three years or have to give up one of their vacation homes. All they can think of is themselves. Greed rules in this country. It dominates the Republican Party. It dominates in the hearts of conservatives who don't care about other people who are less fortunate.
A new reality show would be interesting to place a team of homeless people and a team of the richest 5% of Americans and see if they can learn to find common ground and learn to respect one another and learn from one another.
We should all be kinder to one another. We should all be nicer. We should smile, even when we are having a hard time. We should find ways to reach out to help and reach out to encourage.
I'm grateful we have President Obama in the White House. He is the greatest President in the history of the United States. He will solve the problems in this country. He will turn things around. He will make things better. He is a good man, a kind man, a genius.
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