"Searching for a way to clean up Seattle's homeless camps with consistency and compassion. That's the challenge posed to a new task force that met for the first time Wednesday at city hall."
I read the news today 'oh boy'!
Seattle's task force on homeless encampment cleanup meets for first time
So reads my headline as I read the paper arriving to work this morning. Like Denzel Washington's character Alonzo said in the action packed drama Training Day,
"You see this paper?! It's 99% bullshit. But I read it. Because it's entertaining. You won't let me read it. So you. You tell me a story!"
I've been more fascinated with words and word's structures to be more accurate lately. Writing about comedy lately has found me reading and hearing the news for inspiration. And if you have a pulse and you can read, first off congrats to you. And second, you know there's more entertainment in news these days then, well, news.
We often take sentences such as the one I have bold faced, for granted.
Imagine if you will that you're an alien from another planet. You and the other Alfs have gathered up all the information that humans have accumulated over our relatively short history in the Cosmos. Now imagine if you will that after a long day of traveling you meet with the Seattle task force to discuss the 'homeless problem' with your own alien logic:
"Uh I have an idea. Why don't we make the home LESS more HOUSES?"
**Laughter**
Oh illegals. Can we make the wall high enough to counteract such radical ideas. Imagine another foreign alien joins this group. This alien comes from the many galaxies these aliens have inhabited. The mayor of Empathyville gets up and talks to the members of the task force:
"You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
Oh Jesus Christ buddy.
So Seattle is going to tackle the homeless problem by meeting once a week with a task force. A task force sounds official. It sounds like they're going to get things done! I imagine the mayor and his ideologues are in riot gear equipped with house deeds and food and clothing breaking down the encampments:
"THIS IS A RAID! EVERYONE UP! YOU"VE BEEN CHOSEN TO HAVE A HOME! GET UP! GET UP! THIS HOMELESS SHIT ENDS NOW! YOU! YOU! GET UP! WHY ARE YOU HERE?"
"I um, I lost my job and me and my kid we..."
"ENOUGH OF THIS! YOU NEED SHELTER. HERE'S A NICE HOME UP ON QUEEN ANNE! GO, GO, GO. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO A LIVING WAGE. IF ONE IS NOT PROVIDED TO YOU THE STATE WILL FIND A WAY!"
Homeless? It's our 'task' to 'force' you out of it!
Huh?!
Now look, I hate to be cynical, I prefer biblical, but I googled 'task force' just to make sure it wasn't the definition I thought it was: "A group of adults telling children learning about responsibility what's up."
I was wrong.
Task Force according to God errr Google says, " a group designed to work on a single defined task or activity."
Enter homelessness. Well, not into a home rather, but in a structure to discuss how to make people home owners?
Not exactly.
They say behind every cynic is a dreamer with a glimmer of hope and light to possibility. I'm trying to pour gasoline on that light. And for me personally the light shines a lot brighter then my fellow 'it's all bullshit' compadres.
I read further into this 'story.'
Seattle mayor Ed Murray constructed the task force to meet once a week.
Ok, there's a start. But wait, with a deadline?
They've been given until the end of September to come up with a recommended list of protocols and policies on exactly how the city should go about cleaning up homeless encampments throughout Seattle.
Yes hi, I have a question. Over here. Hi. I know I haven't been here that long but what happens after the month is over?
"Sir, hi. I don't think you know what we are discussing. Mr. Mayor care to take this question?"
"Yes, hi. So we are talking about compassion in how we CLEAN UP the encampments. You can direct that question to Mr. and Mrs. Backburner who field this question daily. You're talking about homes here. We are talking about being civil people to clean these people out."
"It is our responsibility to ensure these cleanups are done right and done in a way that serves the needs of people living in these areas who are enduring extremely difficult circumstances," he said in a statement on August 19th, "We recognize the protocol under which cleanups are conducted needs both improvement and clarity."
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I see. Cleaning up the homeless! Not offering what they're less at. The whole HOME thing.
Cleanups.
I love cleanups.
Did you say cleanup?
Now look. I know I sound idealistic as all hell that in the year 2016 I should expect every American to be offered affordable housing, but we've been TASK FORCING this issue for years. Ever since I was old enough to learn how to do mime the "I'm sorry I don't have cash on me" look as homeless people ask me for change. (A mime trick perfected when you have the empathy but don't have the time.)
I get how this works. We acknowledge a problem exists. We tell people they have the problem (the homeless). Then, it becomes our problem as homelessness becomes the 'new trend.'
Of course nobody has the pefect Christian answer. It's not that easy. They say that America was founded on Christian values and it can be daunting coming up with an answer that might fit the paradigm we like to say makes America great. If only we could find a teaching we can get behind. You think it's easy, but with so many opinions and so much dissent and so much to consider, finding the perfect answer in an ever changing, multicultural America, is hard.
To be fair, this task force is trying to find out how we can be compassionate as we kick people in need of homes out of their encampment. Hey, they're at least trying. We could be the progressive city everyone dreams of. Shirley we can lead the country in how we 'tackle' homelessness in this country?For Christ's sake! Literally?
I'm wrong of course. I want to be on page 2,016 but apparently we are on page 1,933. It's the page were homeless people were homeless because of their own actions. We all have a story. Some of us are more lucky then others to be born into families that love us. So naturally when we make that correlation the questions becomes, when it comes to the government helping out the 'less fortunate' who should get what first?
I misread the news today. It's all about HOW TO CLEAN UP THE ENCAMPMENT, not how to eradicate homelessness.
Got it. I just want to make sure I'm on the wrong page here. I always was in grade school.
I'm not a religious man, although I think JC was a cool cat. Like a cat, if he had nine lives then I think after his crucifixion he might have took a mulligan on eight more because with the way we talk about homelessness in this country we take it seriously when it affects us. Even then, we don't tackle causes and concerns, well, unless they're ours.
I may run for city council and legally change my name to Johnny Ryall to become the 'leader of the homeless.'
There's to much at stake in our Emerald City to find the best way to CLEAN UP the homeless problem as we sweep it under the rug. Or as my social media director for my bid for city council will say:
"Donald Trump Donald Tramp living in the men's shelter
Wonder Bread bag shoes and singing "Helter Skelter"He asks for a dollar you know what it's for
Bottle after bottle he'll always need more
He's no less important than you working class stiffs
Drinks a lot of liquor but he don't drink piss
Paid his dues playing the blues
He claims that he wrote the Blue Suede Shoes
Elvis shaved his head when he went into the army
That's right y'all his name is
Johnny"
KICK IT!!!!!!
Homelessness
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