"Public Means All Of Us" - Carlos Responds
Cesar makes some very good points. It's a shame to single out homeless people because sometimes they smell, don't wear shoes, or have a mental illness. I especially agree with this comment:
However, from my perspective, that's the not the point of the city ordinance. It seems to me that Dallas officials have received many complaints from Dallas residents about homeless people taking over the library.
I lived in Dallas for 3 years and can attest to that. Many of the homeless people in Dallas hang out in or near the public library because it's close to the shelter where they get their daily meals. It's also across the street from City Hall.
Cesar, I think the problem is that Dallas residents feel uncomfortable being surrounded by homeless people in the library. You can count me in on that. Now, is that wrong? Maybe. However, the couple of times I visited the public library in Dallas I was asked for money, both inside and outside of the library. I wasn't being hassled, but it was still uncomfortable. And yes, we do go to the public library and expect to be comfortable.
I think in part, my reasons for partly supporting such an ordinance, would be because I think of the kids who are at the library by themselves. I remember that as a young child you would spend the entire day at the library by yourself. Do you think Mom & Dad would have let you stay there all day if they knew that there was a homeless person in every other chair, sitting next to you. Or that a Mentally ill person might be sharing the restroom with you. Maybe, I sound naive, because 99.9% of homeless people would not do anything to harm anyone, but that's not the public perception - plus, there's always the, what if?
I find your comments about odor on point, however, let's be realistic. Most of us can tolerate Chanel. We can't tolerate a person not bathing.
I agree, kicking homeless people out of the library does nothing to address the problem of homelessness, but I don't think that's the issue here. The public library is meant as a resource for all people and most importantly kids. Unfortunately, many kids have stopped going to the Dallas Public Library because of homeless people.
In conclusion, I don't think the ordinace should kick all homeless people out. If the lady with her cell phone is sleeping in one of the cubicles, she should be kicked out along with the homeless guy. If the homeless guy is reading a book, no problem.
Tossing homeless people out of libraries does nothing to eliminate or ameliorate homelessness. It does nothing to remind us that we’re still part of the same community.
However, from my perspective, that's the not the point of the city ordinance. It seems to me that Dallas officials have received many complaints from Dallas residents about homeless people taking over the library.
I lived in Dallas for 3 years and can attest to that. Many of the homeless people in Dallas hang out in or near the public library because it's close to the shelter where they get their daily meals. It's also across the street from City Hall.
Cesar, I think the problem is that Dallas residents feel uncomfortable being surrounded by homeless people in the library. You can count me in on that. Now, is that wrong? Maybe. However, the couple of times I visited the public library in Dallas I was asked for money, both inside and outside of the library. I wasn't being hassled, but it was still uncomfortable. And yes, we do go to the public library and expect to be comfortable.
I think in part, my reasons for partly supporting such an ordinance, would be because I think of the kids who are at the library by themselves. I remember that as a young child you would spend the entire day at the library by yourself. Do you think Mom & Dad would have let you stay there all day if they knew that there was a homeless person in every other chair, sitting next to you. Or that a Mentally ill person might be sharing the restroom with you. Maybe, I sound naive, because 99.9% of homeless people would not do anything to harm anyone, but that's not the public perception - plus, there's always the, what if?
I find your comments about odor on point, however, let's be realistic. Most of us can tolerate Chanel. We can't tolerate a person not bathing.
I agree, kicking homeless people out of the library does nothing to address the problem of homelessness, but I don't think that's the issue here. The public library is meant as a resource for all people and most importantly kids. Unfortunately, many kids have stopped going to the Dallas Public Library because of homeless people.
In conclusion, I don't think the ordinace should kick all homeless people out. If the lady with her cell phone is sleeping in one of the cubicles, she should be kicked out along with the homeless guy. If the homeless guy is reading a book, no problem.
posted by BlogerosGarcia at 10:48 PM
6 Comments:
as a kid who did spend most of her time at the dallas downtown library surrounded by homeless people. . .I can honestly say, I never encountered any harassment. But that was then, this is now. The homeless have increased since then and the crowd does seem to be getting bigger and bigger.
I wish it was possible to find a middle ground for this situation. It’s not fair one way or the other. . .
maybe they just want to ensure the library serves its primary purpose of serving patrons who seek reading and other material rather than function as a daytime shelter for the homeless.
You might ask yourself what is at the origin of your discomfort around homeless people? Fear, guilt, anger, disgust? I'm guessing most people, including me, feel uncomfortable because having homeless people next to them at the library or on the street or anywhere else in public reminds them of their relative privilege. Even if you are just barely making it, you've still got way more than the person who carries their worldly possessions with them in a shopping bag. It's a guilt thing. For me it's also anger, anger at the injustice of a society that allows few to have everything, most to have little, and some to have nothing at all. In both cases the discomfort is a good thing because it reminds us of reality.
As far as homeless people with mental illness being too dangerous to be around kids, let me draw a comparison which might help to explain. I'm white. Suppose I'm walking through the part of town that is predominantly made up of low-income people of color and that others say has a statistically higher rate of violent crime. Should I eye everyone I pass with suspicion? If I had kids, should I keep them away from the people in this neighborhood, just because of the what if?
I agree that libraries should not function as homeless shelters but it seems like this regulation was made to facilitate discrimination against homeless people. Just because someone doesn't have access to a shower doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed in their own public library, where they might be studying for the GED, searching for jobs on the internet, or heaven forbid, just using the bathroom and passing time sheltered from the hot Dallas sun. I believe this is an attempt to deny those of us locked into a literal day to day struggle for survival the basic dignity that we all deserve as human beings.
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I hated not being able to provide my family the life I wanted to give them.Then, when I thought things can't get any worse, they did...
I remember the exact day. It was December 7th (my birthday) and I'd been laid off from the only job I had. Christmas was fast approaching and I planned on buying my wife a very special Christmas gift (the kind that shines in the light and could only be worn on her ears).But all of a sudden, there was no way I could afford that gift. Forget presents, I didn't even know how I was going to afford putting a roof over our head and food on the table after my last paycheck was spent.I felt like the world was crashing down on me, I had to do something fast, very fast, before my family and I were out on the street. I needed another way to make money immediately. And as I was thinking about it, I asked myself: Before I make any moves that will tie me into another job I'll just end up hating, why don't I consider what it is I want, and more importantly, what I don't want in a job?So I put together a checklist of what I DON'T WANT in a job.
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