Thoughts From The Downtown Resident’s Meeting
Last night I attended the Downtown Resident’s Association meeting at the Tap Room. My friend Farrell joined me. Farrell is between residences at the moment. Note I didn’t say my “homeless friend” as I have done before. He is a friend that happens to be homeless but like most of us we don’t want to be defined or labeled by a single factor. I don’t want someone to describe me as their disabled friend.
What was interesting was after the meeting when the last 5-6 of us headed down to the main bar. So here I am watching Farrell and Andy Martello bond. Martello is the downtown dad that circulated the petition to get Larry Rice’s New Life Evangelistic Center shut down (his blog, petition, RFT story). Farrell pointed out to Andy that Rice’s NLEC, despite it’s shortcomings (no computer access, no place to store belongings, outdated training), does provide a place to sleep and food if you are hungry.
Last night, seven blocks from Lucas Park, progress was made. Farrell thought it was interesting to hear the Mayor & residents talk openly about their concerns. Farrell was pleased as he heard compassion from downtown residents. A few residents experienced a different side of homelessness — speaking with an educated, well-read individual who is able to articulate what he and so many others need. It focuses on transitional housing. Having your clothing/possessions in the same place you sleep. Better access to the web & email. With the last meals served at 5pm it is hard to get a job and be back to Centenary for 5pm dinner. How is a person supposed to eat until the first paycheck arrives? Coordination of services is Farrell’s request.
I think the more downtown residents get involved in creating viable solutions the less homeless residents we will see on the street and in Lucas Park.
Steve:
I’m glad to see that citizens (with and without homes) can come together and have a conversation without YELLING and SCREAMING at one another. That’s something we all need to stop and think about for a moment during this election cycle. I commend those two men.
I want to offer a thought for discussion… At what point do we keep softening up labels on people? I’m not saying anyone is right or wrong, but the fact of the matter is that most of us have labels on us and to soften them up serves no purpose and if were all so sensitive to the labels then they really never go away. I’ll use myself as an example… I’m deaf in one ear, it’s enough that people notice and will ask me questions, and say are you deaf? Now I use to be sensitive to that and that became a crutch that I used for all the wrong reasons. What I learned was that, the reality is, I have a severe hearing loss in that ear, I’m deaf, that’s part of me but it by no means defines me. I’m not hearing deficient, sound impaired, etc etc… I’m deaf. OK. I’m oversimplifying that story, but that’s the crux of it, Call me deaf, it’s ok… it’s a true statement, but I don’t let that define me.
While we can all debate the levels of a label (some are just vulgar and used to hurt others, I’m not defending that), I promise you being called deaf boy growing up was just a traumatic as many of the other labels out there, but that’s life, and once I embraced that part of my life, all those people who used that against me started to look past that too. Do some still use that to define me, I’m sure they do, but that’s ok with me, they just don’t know me beyond that label yet. So, what do we gain by not saying homeless, etc, etc…? Do all of us really need to be babied with words? I’m not for it… Again, just a thought for discussion from my point of view. I’m not trying to be right here.
Greg,
Bums, Hobos, Homeless people, Transits, “Those People”, words carry weight and meaning, just as you said when you were a kid the name calling hurt. People label people all the time if some one wants to label me as a hobo, or bum then that is on them and that obviously is a problem that that they need to work out, I refused to be label in my own mind so I don’t care what you call me I know who I am!!! I just what to help educate people, let them know that not all the people one sees in a down trodden position is down and out, I may be homeless but I am not helpless I may be down but I am not out I CAN get up. there are more people out here trying hard to get back on their feet than people seem to realize. I’m just trying to put a face on this issue.
Farrell:
I completely understand and respect your point of view. I would never defend someone using hateful words, those are not labels, those words are used to belittle and degrade. I am a strong believer in simplicity of life and words and the more politically correct (softer) we become as a society, we are just catering to becoming soft as Americans. To each their own, it’s only my opinion.
Neat post, Steve.
Greg – I’m having trouble figuring out what “becoming soft as Americans” means. I mean this truly, not snarkily.
I can’t see how putting the emphasis on “friend” instead of on “homeless” or “disabled” — as the constructions “homeless friend” and “disabled friend” do — is harmful to us as a society. The important thing is that this is my friend. Or that this is a person. I want that for everyone (I don’t want to be somebody’s “fat friend”, for instance! I’d prefer I be their friend first, and know that that is my first and most important quality to them, not my size!)
As an aside, there is a good deal of difference between a bum and a hobo. “Bum” is indisputably a pejorative term, but such people do exist. Hobos are different. A hobo is a guy who has chosen a life as a transient, ride-the-rails bird, traveling from town to town, doing odd jobs, playing banjo or guitar on street corners when they hit big towns, even attending hobo conventions, which took place around the country for years. Areas of many cities were known as hobo jungles. Some of the great blues men of the past centuries were essentially hobos, with no fixed address at all (or many) living the life they sang songs about. Many of these hobos were talented, interesting people who were not boozehounds, drug addicts, or criminals. It’s a part of our culture that has largely disappeared, along with bindlestiffs, peat men, rod riding yeggs and cat burglars. Obviously homelessness has not.
A salty old convict told me that at one time in the large “community” of “street people”, there were hobos, bums and lushes. Some bums were lushes of course, but not all, and some lushes went on the bum because they couldn’t function due to what is called alcoholism today. Hobos were a distinct segment of this group who would strenuously (and rightly) object to being viewed as bums or cons.
I was excited to read about what the Mayor and residents had to say at this meeting. However, it seems that many people think it is more important to discuss labels or categories of defining our species. So, what was the meeting all about?? Please, give us more details to learn about our community.
Thanks!