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Dec 18, 2003 My grandfather came to the United States when the Czar in Russia was deposed. He said that there are two things one must never do here: 1) Lose your job, 2) Become ill. It was good advice and still true. I have not had regular employment since 9/11. As a result, I have had to sell my condo to pay back bills and keep my car. In selling my condo, I also gave notice to my live-in boyfriend, who was also struggling to find work, that he had to look for other accommodations because I was not taking him with me. My new zip code and updated resume has produced some better responses. My former roommate has not fared as well. Even though he had sufficient time to find a solution, he has not found a job, and he has become homeless. Living in the streets, sleeping in hallways, cars and anywhere for shelter, he caught pneumonia. He went to the hospital and was treated, as an indigent, and released, still sick. I’ve been homeless, and am on the verge myself. I’ve seen this problem in Florida, and in NYC. One Saturday morning, I went with my friend on his paper route in NYC. We went through the Court district adjacent to Chinatown. People were littered everywhere, living in cardboard boxes and pipe drains. It reminded me of pictures of Bombay. I mentioned this to some acquaintances at a club we used to go to, and they became quite agitated. I must have been lying, or exaggerating. After all, how could NYC look like Bombay! I offended their sense of what America is all about. Homeless people and hungry people are offensive to our sensibilities. There’s a somewhat young man who hangs around our local 7 Eleven. A patron went into the store and requested that the man be removed because he was annoying. This reminds me of one of my own experiences. I was recently working a temp assignment as a security guard at the Museum of Art. The show was the treasures of the Vatican. Once a week, there were private parties for various organizations that were catered. Generally, the catering people would leave food for the staff. Most of the food was meat. With my wages just above minimum, and a paycheck that was held back two weeks, I found that I was short of money and quite hungry. When everyone else was enjoying the leftovers, I was crazy to eat. I am a vegetarian and was hoping to snag a piece of bread and cheese. It was a policy that security officers were not to bother the catering people for food. One of the staff found it inappropriate that I was hanging around waiting for something to eat. Imagine, being hungry and guarding the wealth of the Church and being chased away over a piece of bread. Riding past a cemetery, and the landfill nearby, I had visions of India again. People have been known to live in cemeteries. In garbage dumps. On the streets. Families have developed means of survival. Picking garbage. Catching rats. As I drove by, I saw these places inhabited by the poor and homeless. Of course, they weren’t there, but they would be if allowed. There was a tent city in Chinatown which survived almost an entire winter. I am sure that many homeless hide in the wild areas in Florida, too. Helicopters, according to some reports, use their infrared to track them. In our underlying Darwinian attitude, we attach blame to the homeless. It must be their fault. It may be. After all, we do create our own realities. But as a society, we also create homelessness. It’s so easy to slip and fall. We have lawyers ready to bring suit for slip and fall victims. We don’t sue the government when portions of our population fail. Yes, we do have shelters and programs and unemployment. Yet, we still have people who fall through the cracks. Case workers at Child and Family services have told me that it is increasingly difficult to do their jobs when day in and day out, more and more families who are living in cars, are coming for aid. I’m a fighter. I still have my health. Most of all, I still maintain a positive attitude. I have faith. I know I will make it. I feel blessed. Yet, I am sickened by the conditions that produce such despair and disruption. I am powerless to do anything for anyone else or to change the overall situation. Everyone has told me that I did the right thing regarding my roommate. He’s a man, after all. I’m not God, and should not interfere with God’s plans or try to take His place, or assume responsibilities that are not mine. In the Old Testament, farmers were required to leave a portion of their crops to be picked by widows, children and others who had no means. This is humane. In such a wealthy country as ours, when we tell ourselves and the world that we are the best, can we also see our selves as humane and still have so many desperate people? ------------ Email Risa: risa008@yahoo.com Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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