“We don’t want to make it easy…”

Yesterday, I attended a symposium at Georgian Court University that addressed resources for the homeless (and included a screening of Destiny’s Bridge). From vocational rehabilitation to holistic healing, it’s refreshing to know how many people are actively trying to help the poor. You can read more about it here:

http://www.app.com/article/20131114/NJNEWS/311140173/Homeless-advocates-join-forces-GCU-symposium

But man, just when I think Lakewood’s municipal leaders could not sink any lower, they somehow manage…Regarding the ordinances that basically outlaw homelessness by prohibiting sleeping, camping, using a blanket outdoors, etc., they stated, “We don’t want to make it easy for people to be homeless.”

As if homelessness was a conscious choice.

The ignorance, callousness, and self-righteousness they continue to exhibit angers and frustrates me to no end. Homelessness is NOT a choice. It is NOT some sort of disease. It’s a condition. A circumstance. And one for which the government itself is largely responsible.

Temperatures at night continue to drop, and the police force the residents to extinguish their wood fires or else face summonses or arrest (as if these people even HAVE money to pay a fine???) The local government might be taking away their only source of warmth, harassing them, and kicking them off the streets, but at the same time, they ARE making homelessness “easy.” By not having emergency shelter available to people who need it. By stealing public housing funds and allocated them to advance your own interests. By not ensuring that workers on the verge of homelessness are paid a living wage. By not allowing the poor of the community to have a voice in local government. You’ve created an economic environment in which those outside of your own special interest group cannot afford even the basic necessities.

And then, when your policies have stripped away every last bit of human dignity from these people and they are cast to the street, you pass laws that leave them with nowhere to sleep. And nowhere to turn.

This, friends, is what Minister Steve calls “discrimination by design.” Those in charge controlled by one of the state’s biggest voting blocs, and neither the government nor the people it represents want to be bothered with the disenfranchised members of society that Minister Steve is trying to help.

And although his ministry to the poor is saving Lakewood officials the trouble – along with saving taxpayers MILLIONS of dollars – they continue to persecute him.

THIS. NEEDS. TO. STOP. And so help me, I will fight for these people – MY friends, MY brothers and sisters - as much as I can, with whatever gifts and resources I have. If the pen is indeed mightier than the sword, then a computer with an Internet connection is surely an arsenal. Or at least I can hope it is.

Separation of "church" and state begins HERE and NOW. ACLU, here I come...