Homelessness in Los Angeles

I once heard a comedian named Sam Kinison say “We have deserts in America, we just don’t live in them”. He was addressing a crisis in the news at the time of hunger in the Sudan, and his point was - freaking move.

People might say his comments were harsh but I say they hit the mark. Why wouldn’t one ask the question - Why DO people live where they have no access to water or food? Pretty sure if they moved out of the desert they’d solve that problem.

Homelessness in America is becoming a crisis and I personally think we need to address it with the same logic Sam Kinison addressed hunger in the Sudan - freaking move.

So, move where you may well ask?

Well, for the 55,000 or so homeless in Los Angeles here’s what I propose:

For the mentally ill. They need to be in a nursing home or psychiatric facility where they can be helped. Not necessarily in Los Angeles - somewhere in America.

For the drug addicts, they need to be in a rehab facility to break the addiction and get back on their feet. Not necessarily in Los Angeles - somewhere in America.

For the economic casualties who lost their jobs and or can’t afford the rent. Move. Re-locate. Find a job and a town and a state where you can afford to live. America is a big place and still the land of opportunity.

Same scenario across America in other towns homelessness - repeat same solutions.

I don’t live in Venice Beach California because I can’t afford to. I can’t afford the rent or anything else there. That’s why I don’t live there. It wouldn’t occur to me to squat on the sidewalk and pitch a tent either because that’s scary and unsanitary. I’d go somewhere in America where I could find a job and afford to live.

I live in a small town where I work and can afford to live. Anything that I can do - anyone else can do. Its not that hard. I don’t make an exorbitant salary but I don’t live an exorbitant lifestyle either. I take care of myself and that makes me feel good. I’m super grateful for my job and gladly go there every day so I can support myself.

So the next logical question is who’s going to pay for the nursing homes, rehabs and psychiatric hospitals for the mentally ill and drug addicted? Who is paying for it now? There are plenty of people in these situations all over America who aren’t squatting on the side walk in the second most expensive city in all of America. There is a way. Each person should be interview and placed. Somewhere, in some facility somewhere in America. There is no reason any person should be living on the street.

I call on the Christian churches in America to do what God told you to do, help the widows and orphans.

I call on the wealthy Yeezy’s (Hollywood movie stars, Google, Microsoft, whoever) in America to step up and help the mentally ill and drug addicted.

Come on America we can do better than this.

I give every month to three charities. They auto draft my checking account. They are Samaritan’s Purse to help the poor, Shriners hospital to help the kids, and also to St Judes hospital to help the kids. Helping the kids helps the parents. If I on my meager salary can do what I can to help, then imagine what the super wealthy can do.

I take the same logical down to earth “Sam Kinison” view about illegals here from Mexico. If I lived in a hell hole in Mexico I'd move to Cabo or Acapulco or any number of beautiful places in Mexico where I could get a job and live well. It would never occur to me to sneak into a neighboring foreign country where they don't even speak my language and try my luck there. What kind of logic is that? And I can promise you I’d never sneak my kids across the border risking getting separated from them and arrested. Lets stop making excuses for this behavior. Its shameful is what it is. Its disgraceful and shocking to do that to children. Its bad parenting.

Genuine “refugees” is a different story and should be handled just the way we do - we help them. If they were mentally ill we’d put them in a psychiatric facility or a nursing home where they could be helped. If they were drug addicted we’d put them in rehab and help them get back on their feet. If they were able to work we’d find them jobs and a place to rent. Why can’t we do the same for our own that we do for foreigners who land on our shores? When did we dumb down so much we can’t approach our problems with logic. What’s a “community organizer” do exactly? Come on Barack Obama - where are you and your wealthy smart friends?

I felt the same way about other countries people who come here like the Syrian refugees. If my town in Syria got blown up I'd move to another town in Syria that wasn't blown up. It would never occur to me to get on a boat and go half way around the world to a country where they don't even speak my language and especially if they weren't the same culture as my strict Islamic religion.

Why don’t we stop pussyfooting around these issues and get real? This is America, land of the free and home of the brave. Lets get busy sorting out this problem.