INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Ignorance of homelessness

It surprises me that in this day and age that the old line “Get a job, you lazy bum!” is still uttered by educated people (News, “Thumbsdown: Brother, can you spare a …” April 2-9). Ten years ago, I was homeless on the streets of Seattle. The only work I ever found was either with the shelter group that owned the building I lived in when I was not on the street, or working at a fish cannery for minimum wage. Indianapolis is 10 times worse than Seattle due to its antagonism towards the homeless. When I was in Seattle, there was a homeless writers group, art gallery and enough services to keep one fed and clothed and sleeping with a roof over one’s head. Here, well, let’s just say I am glad I was never homeless in Indianapolis. The hostility towards these people is enormous. McDonald’s does not pay enough for even a sleeping room, if you want to eat as well. Not to mention their employment practices. When I was a teenager, I was fired from McDonald’s for calling in. Once. The solution is to provide a leg up. Housing, showers, a place to put what little they own. Bus passes. Job training. Mental health care. Yes, these cost money. It’s either that or the problem gets worse. Jailing panhandlers does nothing to fix the problem, and little to even fix the symptoms.