Homelessness
We can start with a few facts. All of the major cities on the West Coast of the United States have a a large number of people living on the streets and using those streets as a bathroom. Despite the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars, the problem is getting worse. There have been a number of minor outbreaks of third world and medieval diseases associated with this population. As the homeless population continues to grow and the level of tolerance for antisocial behavior is unabated, the public health problem will probably get worse.
We next ask . . . who are these people camped out among us? A large percentage are alcoholics and drug addicts. Some others suffer from untreated mental illness. A third group has both problems. There is a lot of evidence to demonstrate that mental illness is exacerbated by consumption of mood altering chemicals. All of those problems are physiological conditions and should be treated as such. The goal should be cures, not condemnation.
What can be done? We can outlaw panhandling and public defecation and strictly enforce those laws. Acknowledging disability should not foreclose prohibition of antisocial behavior. We can provide rudimentary shelter (in industrial parts of town to minimize neighborhood opposition) and basic nutrition. We can provide better shelter and nutrition for anyone willing to try to conquer their addiction. Lots of folks from the recovery community would be happy to volunteer their services to facilitate rehab.
What about mental illness? Those who want to tolerate antisocial behavior often hide behind the notion of kindness to the mentally impaired. First, let’s remember that addiction is often a major part of the problem. Second, we need to remember that toleration is not kindness. Addicts won’t usually attempt to clean up their act until all else fails. Enabling their behavior is doing them no favor. Allowing mentally impaired people to wander our streets does them and everybody around them no favors. Involuntary confinement for purposes of evaluation and treatment is the kindest thing we can do. After a few weeks or months, due process could allow anyone so confined to demonstrate that they are capable of living successfully on the outside. There should be advocates to assist with the due process and constant and independent inspection of any confinement facility to be sure people are being treated humanely and effectively.
Continuation of current policies will increase the human population on our streets because jurisdictions all over the country will be buying bus tickets for their homeless citizens to travel west. Current policies will also increase the rat and flea populations, endangering the rest of us.
