Why The Hell Are We So Mean?

We are a bunch of mean spirited, ill tempered jerks in this country anymore. Not only that, but I believed were all becoming mentally unstable as well. Take for example the plight of the homeless in the city of St. Petersburg, Florida. They have had it a bit rough for the last several weeks. First off though, I want to break the stereotypes we like to use of the homeless. Yes, there are the drug addicts and the criminal element (no they are not the same thing),  and of course some straight out bums. But there are also children, families and people who have jobs and work and the mentally ill.

The homeless were being helped by an organization called  the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a church run homeless shelter  who allowed the homeless to pitch tents on their 4 acre property. They served the residents of the "tent city" three meals a day , extended their nighttime shelter program to accommodate an additional 15 people who, along with their regular 25 sleepover clients, could shower and receive clean clothing. Also the residents were guaranteed a reserved mat and blankets to  sleep inside the dining room for 30 days.  The reason the city was forcing them out was do to violation of the city's land-use codes when it comes to tents and camping.  So, come Friday, January 12, 2006 the city forced the residents out, leaving them once again to the streets. Now, again forced to live under overpasses and on roadsides, these people (that were out of harms way, out of sight and being helped) were vulnerable to the streets.

Another blow to the homeless community of St Petersburg came just five days later. On January 18,  two homeless men were gunned down in alleys within a square-mile area.  David Heath, 53, was once a batboy for the New York Mets, went on to father three children and loved watching movies with his son. With alcohol as his personal demon, however, the streets is were he would die. Jeff Shultz, 43, loved the ocean, fixed boat engines and had just returned to the city after visiting his family in North Fort Myers during Christmas. He died nine blocks away from Heath, his bicycle beside him. Shultz grew up in Cape Coral and wasn't expected to live after a brain injury from a motorcycle accident. His injuries were such that his mind never progressed much beyond that of a 14-year-old. He drifted in and out of drug rehabilitation centers before ending up on the street with barely more than a bicycle to his name. Witnesses in both deaths recall seeing three teenagers briskly walking from the locations after hearing shots fired, investigators said.

Now, living on the streets on fearing for there lives, the homeless population has had yet another blow, this time the city strikes again. The displaced citizens that were forced from St. Vincent de Paul were raided by police on Jan 19th. Citing fire code violations, the tents were seized and cut. by police. Those who refused to get out of their tents or remove their belongings watched as two dozen police and fire officials sliced the tops of the tents away from their bases, tossed them into a truck and drove off. Some said they didn't have enough time to get out before the officials began to cut with scissors, box cutters and other blades.

What......? I'm sorry but I thought this was the land of the free. I thought we had basic human rights in this country. Since when does the government have the right to destroy the few small possessions a person has? I'm not even talking about confiscating, but to cut up and destroy..? That's just meanness. Welcome to the Soviet Socialists Republic of America! Actually, seeing how were raising our "Hitler Youth" to be murderers, we should call ourselves the United Nazi States of America. Why have we lost how to love or be compassionate to one another?  To help people up instead of kicking them down? I look around and I don't see the America I want to see. I see a hateful, spiteful degenerate society. I don't know what lies in our future, but I'm sure we'll reap what we sow.

-Jim