Exposing the Heart
June 25, 2009
The Franklin/Starnes team is committed to the disappearing of the homeless population from Atlanta. All the members of that team from Hosby to memo signer Bonnie Ware declare that they are the “molders of human fate and the givers of all good.” (Daniel Berrigan) They are not what they say they are, and they are not what they appear to be. When pressed, like the chameleon these lizards change their color. The truth brings out their true colors.
The comment quoted in full below was sent to my blog. I post it because it so perfectly captures the “heart” and posture of the present City of Atlanta government. I pray that everyone reads it and digests it. I thank Riptide for so clearly articulating the heartbeat of city hall. I’ve asked that this comment be put into a pamphlet for distribution everywhere as my feeble blog these days has only a few hundred readers. The Goliath team applause will be thunderous when they behold their reflexion in Riptide’s mirror. Again, let me thank Riptide for showing his heart. The writing is adequate in spots, needing grammatical polish here and there. Like President Clinton, Riptide is not sure what is is. Enjoy this “liberal guilt” basher.
“It is ridiculous how your organization continues to subsidize the lives of able-bodied male drug addicts and alcoholics who frankly are too lazy to hold a real job. Having conversed with many of the people you claim to help, its (sic) apparent that their lives consist of trying to hustle up a few dollars each day so they can support habits and then returning to your shelter for a little bit of sleep so they can do it all over again the next day. This is not real poverty like in the third world-its (sic) self-inflicted misery that no amount of money will cure.
If you really cared about the lives of your residents, you would mandate drug and alcohol testing as a condition of their stay. Otherwise you are just assuaging your feelings of liberal guilt, at the expense of this great city and those you pretend to want to help.
I’ll bet you don’t have the guts to post this on your blog.”
June 30, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Riptide embodies the perspective that all those that want to see the Task Force gone strive so hard to propogate. Its very easy to see that there are homless men outside of Peachtree-Pine during the day…what is more difficult (and may even require venturing into that hated place) is to see the clients being served, being placed, going to work, helping other clients, moving into transitional housing, or participating in any of the many other programs and services available that help people get out of homeless situations. Correct me if Im wrong, Dr. Jim, but I believe that there are 70+ resident volunteers that are regularly drug tested…but I imagine it is difficult to pay for drug testing when the City (and the power brokers that run the City) either directly or indirectly work to take away nearly all of your funding and forces its trusting citizens into opinions like Riptide’s.
July 27, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I’d be interested in seeing a rational and factual riposte to Riptide’s comments. Are residents tested or screened? Are there criteria that need to be met to receive services?
Perhaps instead of publishing a comment from someone who may be ignorant about your organization, your efforts may better serve the community by educating the public.
I see a lot of energy expended reacting to public officials instead of driving home the mission of what you are trying to do.
July 27, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Thank you for these excellent suggestions. I’ll get on it. jwb