By Marilyn Brennan Santa Monica
There was a letter (SMDP, Nov. 30, page 4) chastising those who are angry about the “homeless” situation in Santa Monica and stated that these Santa Monicans have no compassion for the poor.
First, a “homeless” person and a “transient” are two different kettle of fish. Anyone, man, woman or child, who finds themselves homeless due to financial/employment difficulties; or due to escaping an abusive situation; or due to recovering from a debilitating addiction; or due to mental illness should be helped to get a home and get on their feet by all means. No one with any compassion would think or say otherwise.
“Transients,” on the other hand, are the addicted individuals who do not want to kick their habits and who overrun our parks and alleys and Promenade and streets. These are the individuals who are the featured majority in every “Crime Watch” and make up a good percentage of police time. Like the individual who asked for money from a woman at Fourth Street and Wilshire Boulevard in the afternoon, and being told she had no change, the man proceeded to punch her in the face. Or the individual who jumped or was pushed off the bluffs they use as camping grounds (SMDP, Nov. 30, page 1). This individual was reported to have had a $200 to $300 a day crack habit. Really? I work, and yet I could never support a $200 a day habit of any kind. Not without breaking the law. So does he qualify for the letter writer’s label of the “poor?” Most of the “transients” arrested are found to have prior outstanding warrants, etc. So these are not the “poor” whose jobs have been outsourced, but rather, the ones that live on the streets because they’d rather spend rent money on alcohol and drugs. One cannot help being addicted, but they can get off the drugs and alcohol. There is no shame in being addicted, the shames lies in not doing anything about it.
I have a granddaughter who is very fearful of walking the Promenade on a Saturday afternoon in broad daylight, or by the parks where the transients camp out and are illegally fed. This is a shameful situation that a child has to be intimidated by the smelly, aggressive behavior of those who choose addiction over sobriety. I guess we’ll be taking our shopping money to the Grove or malls in Los Angeles. It’s a pity we can’t shop where we can walk to the stores.
But we can’t expect the addicted to be thinking clearly. But what excuse do our city leaders have? If our city would truly crack down for two weeks and enforce the laws already on the books that forbid public intoxication, sleeping in business/residential doorways, public urination and defecation, aggressive panhandling and public feedings, these individuals might be induced to (a) kick their habits and become useful again, or (b) leave the area. Or do we have to actually wait until a woman is punched in the face before arresting them? That Los Angeles County has 11 percent of the entire United States’ homeless might tell us that we are the Mecca of tolerance for outrageous public behavior.
In summation — save the chastisement for those who choose to stay addicted and earn their alcohol and drug money by means that are dangerous and hurtful to them as well as the rest of us. AA and similar 12-step programs are free. Get help or get off of our streets and parks.
And for the umpteenth time, and city-funded program that does not require sobriety as criteria for help is enabling these individuals to other detriment, and these programs should not be funded with the millions now allocated. Money should be spent to help save lives not exacerbate their addictions.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 7, 2005. Read the original PDF.