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# Angels are out on the streets of Santa Monica
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/angels-are-out-on-the-streets-of-santa-monica/
- Published: 2003-05-12T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:08:08.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness

*By Charles Springer*

A few weeks back as I was sitting in my usual spot after work doing my character designs for a story I am currently working on, a woman stopped to drop her friend off at the Jann's Court apartment complex.

She got out of her car, went into her trunk and grabbed this nice, thick comforter and gave it to me. I was truly and honestly grateful for this as it had been getting cold out. It was a gesture that I had come to expect from the good people of Santa Monica.

It shows me that the few who have come to control this city’s policies regarding the homeless population have not spread their taint as far as they would have you believe.

It also shows me that they are not taken as seriously by the majority of you who read their comments on homelessness.

I am not saying that there are not some out here on the streets who do not create problems, but that homelessness reflects the society that spawned this growing problem in the first place. I am saying that there are good and bad people in all strata of society.

Take, for example, the person who constantly disrupts the neighborhood with antisocial behavior or the bad elements in your own neighborhoods. It is the same out here on the streets, only it is all out in plain view.

The person who gave me the blanket, as well as the person who recently let me move in with him, are examples of people who are not listening to what those who are only out for personal gain and looking for scapegoats to cover up their loss of income because of pricing themselves out of the market, say about all homeless in Santa Monica.

People such as these two are perfect examples of this city’s caring and tolerant nature. I really think we all as human beings should learn from and emulate this practice. Especially since there is no real economic recovery going on at any level at this time. And corporate greed is running rampant, with CEOs laying off thousands and taking record paychecks, bonuses and government “bail outs.”

These kind and compassionate people are the ones who obviously see clearly through the smoke and mirrors tactics of the government and have probably come to realize that it is going to get worse before it gets better. They have come to realize that it doesn’t matter who you are or what economic background you come from. We are all in this boat together and instead of shooting more holes in this sinking economic ship created by our King and his court of fools, we should be working together to try to keep the ship afloat.

That means we should be working together on all levels of the economic spectrum and this elitist attitude of some is only a defense mechanism which, in my opinion, covers the fear and anxiety over the failing economy.

So I say don’t be afraid to show your compassion in the light of all that is going on. Any compassion shown to the homeless, no matter how anti-social we seem out here, is honestly more than appreciated by those who are and were formerly homeless.

I say let the angels who reside in Santa Monica come out and be who you are regardless of what is said by the angry elite in this city. I say that acts of kindness, such as have been shown to me in the past few weeks, are what we as human beings and Americans are known for throughout the world. It shows that the government and the people of this great nation and fine city are two separate entities. It shows the handful who spread the anti-homeless sentiment what the majority of us truly believe.

I say let the angels in Santa Monica come out and be known. (Charles Springer is, for the time being, no longer homeless thanks to the intervention of an angel. He is still a freelance writer and artist living in Santa Monica.)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 12, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/051203.pdf?ref=smdp.com)