Yesterday's Hippie Is Today's Homeless
by John Lawrence
Oh, it seemed so simple then - back in the sixties. A girl on the street in Berkeley asking for spare change. You could almost get by on spare change. The cost of living was minuscule compared to today. I wonder where that girl is now. She could have accommodated herself into the so-called "middle class" or maybe she's still asking for spare change in which case she's probably homeless. It was easier to be homeless then. Why pay skyrocketing rent today? But the police don't like people not paying rent. It is somewhat antithetical to a capitalistic society in which money talks and shit walks ... literally.
Until the shit catches up with society and causes an outbreak of Hepatitus A. Then the powers that be get very concerned about homelessness in a tourist town. What if the tourists take it home with them? Some already have, and that is a matter for some concern. All of a sudden rest rooms are available that weren't available before. Suddenly there is a push for affordable housing although what the powers that be really want is for the homeless to move somewhere else so the rest of us can go on with the business of making money and enjoying life. Or they want the homeless to just disappear or be hidden somewhere.
A life of not consuming in a consumerist society is, therefore, unthinkable. What kind of values are those? But public health is an issue. Communicable diseases make us all one, unite us in a common endeavor so to speak. We're all in. All for one and one for all. We are all suddenly in the same boat. I can catch a cold from you, and you can catch one from me. Or Hep A.
Republicans wonder why the homeless can't just forage around in trash dumps like they do in India instead of getting handouts for food. Why does society have to provide EBT for them which, by the way, is good at all the liquor stores. They proudly display large signs - "We Take EBT." A consumer society has no need for those who won't consume. It's against our values. Thanksgiving is not really giving thanks. It's really about gorging yourself with turkey and then watching football all afternoon. Is that what we're thankful for? The car dealers also want you out and about kicking tires. It's black Friday. You can buy a car with all sorts of bells and whistles. A bright display will give you more entertainment choices than you can shake a stick at, but please keep your eyes on the road.
