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editor@illinoistimes.com.
WHERE WILL THE HOMELESS GO?
I worked at Lincoln Library, Springfield’s
public library, for nearly 30 years before retiring two years ago. As its
public-relations director, I was quite familiar with problems associated
with the people labeled “homeless” who frequent the library and
its plaza. Ald. Joe Bartolomucci simplifies matters by calling them drunks
and bums. No doubt some of them fit those descriptions. Others are young
people whose home lives most of us would think horrific. Many are mentally
ill. Some are jobless and trying to get back on their feet. If they had the
resources to be elsewhere, they would be. At the same time, no one likes to plan an outing to
the library only to have her child witness a man urinating on a parking
meter (it happened; I got the phone call). Nor does anyone savor reading in
a chair next to someone who hasn’t bathed in several days. Most of us
feel uncomfortable walking past panhandlers. Thinking people agree that the solutions to providing
housing, health care, and job training for the “homeless” are
complex. The problems will not go away by posting a couple of signs. They
will simply be relocated. The library administration has tried to cope by
establishing rules such as “no bathing.” Library security
guards wake people who fall asleep in library chairs. Personal belongings
that take up too much space must be stored in the cloakroom. But for the
most part the administration’s hands are tied. It is, after all, a
public library, an institution open to all. So what’s to be done? It seems we don’t
want a shelter to disturb our honored dead. And we don’t want to
provide shelter in our public buildings. I wonder how they roust these
folks out of the presidential or Illinois state libraries? What we want is
for the homeless to move on, go to another city, to disappear. Poor people have been at the library for many years.
When I began working there, we were located on the square, in what is now
Prairie Archives, while the new library was being built. There were three
or four men who came in daily. One was incontinent. Another liked to leer
at you through the stacks. And then there was one old guy named Otto. You
could tell he had no family, but he had been befriended by a businessman
named Mr. Baker. Otto was there when we opened, and every few minutes he
would approach the desk. “Is Mr. Baker here yet?” We assured
him that he would be there soon, and like clockwork, at noon, Mr. Baker
came to take Otto to lunch. Who is coming for these people now? The police? Where have all the Mr. Bakers gone? And where, without
men like him, will all the homeless go? I have no idea whether Mr. Baker was a Christian.
Compassion doesn’t require any religious affiliation. But Jesus said,
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Would we really want him sleeping
on the cold bricks of the library plaza? It’s time for the people of Springfield and the
mayor’s task force on the homeless to get serious. The least of our
brethren aren’t going anywhere without our help. Corrine Frisch Springfield HERE IS ONE SOLUTION
There seems to be a controversy brewing about the
homeless folk sleeping on the sidewalks downtown. I have a solution. All the churches enjoy tax-exempt status. They have
investment portfolios that earn nice profits. Some churches are developing
subdivisions for their Christian brothers and sisters. These, too, will
make a lot of money for them. My solution is this: All the churches contribute the
money to buy or lease two buildings (there are several now empty) to
provide housing for these street folks — it’s the Christian
thing to do. If the churches don’t want to do this, then they
should forfeit their tax-exempt status and the tax money could then be used
to do the job, and there would no doubt be enough left over to get all
levels of government out of the welfare business. Lee Archer Springfield APPRECIATES COLUMN ON RACE
Thanks for a well-written piece on “white
privilege,” a pet peeve of mine [Dusty Rhodes, “Head
start,” April 27]. It’s nonhysterical about a topic I often
feel hysterical about, personally. I’m a white guy, originally from
the St. Louis area. I forwarded your piece to friends and family in
Missouri, New York, and around the U.S. and the world. David Donnell New York City WHY BEND TO YOUR RACISM?
No matter what educational background you have, what
kind of upbringing you have, or social status, there is no escaping being
stereotyped if you’re a black male. Your article clearly points out
the problems that face all African-American males today: It doesn’t matter what
you have accomplished in life, you will always be looked at as a thug
and/or criminal [Dusty Rhodes, “The new face of crime?” May
11]. Every person in this article puzzled me with their
comments and reasons for portraying a black/brown fellow on the
neighborhood-watch sign. Let’s start with the family that lives down
the street from you. They are implying that because they did not let their
adopted children speak and dress the way most blacks dress, that they are
successful. What? So
what they are saying is there are no successful black people in America. Why must black males conform to the ways of everyone
else — is there not room for us to be ourselves here in the melting
pot? I have never heard anyone say to an Indian or Arab citizen they must
speak English 24/7; why must black males conform to everyone else’s
way? Is there something wrong with being ourselves? If the history books would put more black role models
besides Martin Luther King Jr. in their books, then maybe, just maybe, they
would have someone besides rappers to look up to. To this day, I wear my
jeans baggy, I wear my hat backwards, I speak slang, I don’t have a
criminal record, and I don’t sell drugs — but what I do is go to work every
day, pay my bills, and be a father to my child. By the way, I also have my
college degree. I’m tired of following the rules of this
country but not being able to be myself at work or while walking down the
street. I’m tried of feeling the ever-watching eye on me. Believe me,
I’m not putting the blame on the shoulders of others, because there
is a lot of rebuilding and reconnecting that we have to do as
African-Americans. But, in the words of my man Shawn Carter, “Can I
live?”
Name withheld by request Springfield A BIG OOMPAPA TO US
You recently published an article by Tom Irwin about
the Trio Freddi band [“Roll out the barrel,” April 20]. It was
really a nice article, and we want to thank you for the publicity. The
Illinois chapter of P.o.L.K. of A. had a nice crowd at the dance that
Sunday, and several people there gave us copies of Illinois Times to take home. Fred and Mary Ann Buechner St. Louis GOVERNOR NEEDS A TUTORIAL I was under the impression that the intent of
executive orders was to address issues in an immediate manner, such as at
times of emergency, when immediate action needed to be taken and the time
that it would take the Legislature to address the issue would be
detrimental and cause undue hardships to those that are affected. It seems our current governor does not share this
view as to the intent of such powers; it appears to me that he uses his
executive powers to dictate orders in favor of special interests. Gov. Rod
Blagojevich’s most recent executive order, mandating insurance
coverage of gay partners of state employees, almost seems to be more of a
campaign ploy. Why is it he cannot propose legislation before the
legislative branch and let them exercise their constitutional powers and
pass laws to address nonemergency issues? On second thought, I may not need to have the intent
of the executive-order powers explained to me; perhaps someone should
explain the proper use of these powers to the governor. Troy Parker Springfield
This article appears in May 18-24, 2006.
