Arkansas Blog

I don't mean to belittle the plight of the homeless, but our ancestors use to live without air conditioning They grew up working on farms in the heat with no air conditioning and survived.

The main thing most homeless people need is psychiatric care.

Isn't that what the Main Library is for?

Well, if you have a problem with the homeless at Dunbar, surely you don't have a quarrel with elderly citizens who have no air conditioning, re: Robert Johnston's plea for "homeless and other needy citizens." Or do you? Surely you have a quarrel with something, or you'd not have posted something suggesting how the homeless should live and endure and be treated. The elerly, many of them, grew up with no air conditioning, after all. You did belittle the plight of the homeless, by the way.

"I don't mean to belittle the plight of the homeless, but our ancestors use to live without air conditioning They grew up working on farms in the heat with no air conditioning and survived. "

Of course, most of those folks actually did have a home to go back into at some point...right? Or did they live, work, and sleep out in the fields all day, every day?

Bottom line: we're a better society when we practice some kindness. The unused Dunbar Center being opened for a mid-day cooling site is not too much to ask.

Unused Dunbar Center? Do you ever go by there? Stop in sometime and you'll quickly see why this won't happen. There are kids there all day, everyday. And a school next door. Unused, my ass.....

Good gosh...give em some place cool...give all of us some place cool, a full belly and release from the hell that is President Shit for Brains' presidency. And, any retired person who doesn't have air conditioning, should be given one free...from tax bucks! We piss away billions on Halliburton's no-bid contracts that make it/oil buds the biggest benefactors of this based-on-lies ungodly war (just so it can move to Dubai). (Once again proving the Military Industrial Complex is alive and throttling our country.) So taking care of our elderly and providing shelter for the homeless should be easy things to fit in the budgets once President Obama cuts off Halliburton's free ride and brings our soldiers home. Heck, there should enough left over for universal healthcare, too.

Again...I'm thrilled anytime any tax money escapes the Pentagon and actually goes to provide local services for all of us. It's becoming rare...'cause I don't count building Arenas with tax dollars and then selling them to, well, for example Alltel/all those rich enough to buy boxes/etc. as providing a local service. And, it was outrageous that a public bridge was closed for a private party on a major PUBLIC holiday. As eLwood said...they're selling our sidewalks...

So get em air conditioning...just charge it alongside the war debt.

I should perhaps edit more carefully. Naturally, I know that Dunbar Center is not "unused." What I meant to say was if there is an unused portion of the Dunbar Center, let's make that available.

"Of course, most of those folks actually did have a home to go back into at some point...right? Or did they live, work, and sleep out in the fields all day, every day?"

No, their homes were not air-conditioned either.

"Bottom line: we're a better society when we practice some kindness. The unused Dunbar Center being opened for a mid-day cooling site is not too much to ask."

As usual, people read into my point things that are not there. Hell, if it were up to me, we'd have homeless shelters that are air-conditioned, with TV's, computers and everything else they need physically as well as emotional support.

I was just pointing out that everyone use to live without air-conditioning and many with homes still do.

yeah, your posts just scream "i care," MJD. *wink*

Most homeless people have a greater need of psychiatric care than air conditioning.
Nobody ever seems to care that they don't get the psychiatric care that so many of them need.

true dat

Heck, MJD, if I had my liberal way I'd give em psychiatric/health care...just as I would give it to every human. But I understand your point about the serious need for mental health care for the homeless/poor. I remember when horrid Reagan emptied the psychiatric hospitals of federally funded patients as he worked feverishly to rid government of all those blood sucking sick/poor. Mentally ill, veterans and the working poor are who make up the bulk of our homeless population. I love people and want them taken care of...especially the sick...that's my 'family values.'

"I love people and want them taken care of...especially the sick...that's my 'family values.'" - Zelda

Communist!

haha. just kidding.

"I remember when horrid Reagan emptied the psychiatric hospitals of federally funded patients as he worked feverishly to rid government of all those blood sucking sick/poor."

That's not actually what happened. Many people (mostly liberal) with good intentions felt it was wrong to keep people institutionalized for extended periods of time. In trying to address this problem, many were released and ended up homeless. Many people will not take the necessary medications unless they are in a supervised facility. We need to rethink this and create institutions that work for the mentally ill.

I knew I was glossing over the incarceration details, MJD; but I blame Reagan for using this Cause to 'go after 'those welfare bums'...to go after government funds that were previously intended for the mentally ill.

He might have gone along with it to save money, but it wasn't his idea.
Well Zelda, Reagan never ended welfare...spending went up every year under him.
It was Clinton that put limits on welfare.

Mrs. Basil - your post isn't funny.

Well, MJD, Reagan was the president who started the 'it's cool to hate welfare bums' movement in government. Remember the infamous welfare queen remark from his 1976 presidential campaign. And, of course, Clinton, who always knew which current political bandwagon to get on, was the guy who got the legislation through.

I remember Reagan's destructive reign too well. He made greed cool and made poor people/unions his footstools to Republican Idolatry.

Commie zelda...I like it razor.