My One and Only Op-Ed Piece!

Published in The State on September 13, 2013

The “problem” of the homeless in Columbia will never be properly resolved as long as the approach of those searching for a solution is an “Us and Them” mentality. Only an “Us and Us” viewpoint can look at the problem from the proper perspective, and that’s very difficult for us Americans to do. Any time there is a “problem”, historically, we have had a tendency to look for a scapegoat or a trouble-maker, an “Other” that we can blame so as to absolve ourselves of any culpability in the problem. At the same time, there is the enormous hurdle we must first clear, which is the long, sad history of condescending Pity instead of Compassion applied to the problems of the “less fortunate” among us. Coupling this with the nagging reality that “less fortunate” in America has always meant anyone NOT “white, male, employed, and (usually) sober”, the complexity of the quandary increases dramatically.

Likewise, a humane response can never be articulated when the phrase “the homeless problem” is associated with the concept of “those who have become a blight on the community, a threat to economic viability, and an intrusion on one’s ‘right’ to be left alone”. Only when we can talk about the “homeless problem” in terms of “lack of jobs, lack of social services, and a lack of human decency toward one another” can we resolve the tensions created while maintaining our dignity. Sadly, the tenor of the discussion so far has been set by those who espouse the first of the two dispositions I’ve mentioned.

The impetus for this dangerous view of how our society should be shaped comes from a philosophy that claims kinship with the "inalienable rights" cherished by the Founding Fathers, yet this new Liberalism sweeping our nation actually only champions the “right to be left alone"--while eschewing the responsibilities that come with citizenship in this great country.  This is a radical departure from ideals concerning human conduct and relationships that have we cherished (and touted) for centuries, regardless of whether we sought to apply them or not. It is not a philosophy we can embrace without fateful consequences. As well-reasoned as so many of their proposals sound, they are ultimately only the baring of the fangs of a cornered wild animal, who will lash out violently, instinctively--concerned only with its survival. Back in the late '70s, Christopher Lasch said, "Self-preservation has replaced self-improvement as the goal of earthly existence." That's not a good thing.