The Chris Moeller Archives

Drama Relief

Why is it that Americans feel such ambivalence towards the homeless? This morning there was a notice posted at work about avoiding the "black man" someone encountered over the weekend in the parking lot asking for change. They requested that we report the man to building management so they could get the cops to chase him off. The most common response to the note seemed to be anger directed towards the man, with some declarations of fear thrown in. There was no hint of compassion in any of the conversations I overheard. Odd, I thought, considering we had all just driven through the first winter storm of the year that morning to get to work.

Do we disdain the homeless because we don't like to be reminded that they exist? Being confronted with capitalism's failures jars the average American from his/her contented distractions. There are 800 million people in the world who live in such extreme poverty that they're unable to meet daily food requirements. Yet in America, you can slide through life rather easily without ever acknowledging the hungry- save for these rare interruptions. We expect every able-bodied person in the U.S. to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." Never mind that most of the nation's homeless are physically-impaired, mentally-ill, or recently born of homeless parents. At the ballot box, we continue to support a system of astronomical health care costs, disappearing jobs, and stark economic inequality, while our prison system does little to deliver on its promise of rehabilitation.

I know it's better to give to a shelter, but I'm not afraid to give money on the street. I don't mention this to make myself sound good. Frankly, this is all I've ever done to help, and even on the street, it's just a couple bucks. I have a high enough opinion of humanity to believe that a person begging for money has already been through hell to have arrived at that point. I haven't been there, and I'm not willing to make a 10 second diagnosis of this guy's problems, so I withhold judgment. Simply by sharing my species, he has earned that from me. The money comes with no strings attached. It is his to do with as he pleases.

Right-wingers claim that the "Welfare State" has trapped the poor in poverty (presumably they mean 'social' welfare, not 'corporate'), and I admit there are times when I question the success of the Great Society programs. They are a work in progress at best- trial and error. At the same time, I'm pretty sure we can eliminate "let 'em rot" from our list of social solutions.

The ranks of the homeless are growing in the U.S. so, as a culture, we need to start figuring out how we feel about the least fortunate souls among us. In a materialistic country, change will come only after dignity has been restored to those without material. The struggle will end after there is education and economic opportunity for all. When you have justice, you don't need charity.

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The terror alert level hasn't been raised in the two months since the election. Just an observation.

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The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Can't we get Fullerton in there somewhere? Or Yorba Linda?

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If you're like me, you found out too late that this was going to be NFL Week on "Wheel of Fortune." Rams wide receiver Torry Holt was on Monday's show, playing for the Torry Holt Foundation with Rams fan Dianne Guittar. I missed it, but there are more shows worth watching later in the week- former Ram Kurt Warner is on Tuesday, former Ram Eric Dickerson is on Wednesday, and former Iowa Hawkeye Robert Gallery is on Thursday, playing for Camp Courageous of Iowa. www.wheeloffortune.com has all the details.

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The Rams are in the playoffs, and I'd like to take this opportunity to say nyah, nyah to all of you doubters. On Friday, washed-up Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp said Rams head coach Mike Martz was "a little on the girly side," and, referring to the Martz/Kyle Turley confrontation, said "I'll just stomp him (Martz) right across his damn head because he really thinks his shit don't stink and you really don't like those types of guys in this league."
When asked to name the worst coaching decision of the year before Sunday's game, ESPN idiot Tom Jackson responded, "Anytime Mike Martz did anything on the field."
Well, that's four playoff appearances in five years for Mike Martz, to go along with a .638 career winning percentage, and Sapp will have to wait at least one more week before he starts sniffing around the Madman's ass.

posted by CM @ 11:44 PM