Homeless has become a continuing issue of interest to letter writers to the Mountain Xpress. This week’s letter is by Brandon Oliver and is a mixed-bag of support and criticism of the local homeless community.
He has little sympathy for those down on their luck and responding with what can be understandable anger. He is right that there are those downtown who are frequent nuisances, but that group is not usually made up of people who are homeless, and homeless persons’ do not make up the majority of panhandlers.
The majority of the homeless are quiet and peaceful people whose situation is unfortunate and they DO merely want to eat and be treated with dignity. However, violence against people who are homeless is increasing and there is more danger to the homeless from violence, exposure, and illness than they will ever pose to anyone in downtown Asheville or anywhere else. Even calling those who do irritate or scare Mr. Oliver, homeless or not, “bums” and “thugs” is not terribly sympathetic or working toward understanding the root cause of this behavior.
The homeless aren’t the problem, but delinquents are
by Brandon Oliver in Vol. 16 / Iss. 26 on 01/20/2010Being homeless does not make someone bad, but being violent, drunk and hostile does make them a problem. Portraying the delinquents who terrorize the people who live, work and frolic in downtown Asheville as peaceful homeless individuals who have just fallen on hard times and merely want to eat is just plain insulting. It’s insulting to the homeless people who genuinely want to be a part of the community but who have become victims due to unfortunate circumstances.
No one is complaining about people who are simply homeless. No one is complaining about veterans. Lumping the derelicts in with the honest, hard-working majority of veterans is an insult. The bums downtown are nasty, offensive and threatening. The thugs who make everyone’s lives miserable are the problem. They try to intimidate people into giving them money. They spend the money they get drugs and alcohol, not food and clothing.
These individuals are fully aware of and frequent the many organizations who provide food and clothing for free.
I don’t know what I would do if I became homeless. I do know what I wouldn’t do: I wouldn’t spend day after day after day toxically drunk trying to pick fights with, and hollering obscenities at, the people who live and work downtown.
How about giving us a break? We just want to feed and support ourselves. We aren’t rich. Some of us volunteer at churches, shelters and soup kitchens. We don’t mind sticking a dollar in the “spare change for real change” box. We simply want to walk about town without being threatened and yelled at.
— Brandon Oliver
Asheville
[...] [...]