By Sterling Walters Santa Monica
The other day, as I was walking with my son through Palisades Park, my son indicated that he needed to use the restroom. We went to one of the cinderblock and wire-mesh constructions located at the California Avenue end of the park. As I opened the steel door to the cubicle, my son and I both took in the sight of a smelly, absolutely filthy, grime-covered individual seated on the commode, clutching in his hand a can of what looked like very potent brew. This citizen looked to be comatose at this point.
My son looked up at me and said “It’s a bum, isn’t it dad?” To which I could only reply, somewhat sorrowfully, “Yeah, it’s a bum, Chris.”
This city desperately needs the proposed “sobering center”, as well as an influential, energetic and well-connected “homeless czar” to do some muscular coordi-nating of available resources, as well as to tap into other potential sources of support. Coordinated resources can be a powerful means to address the chronic social tragedy of markedly disabled and dysfunctional human beings living miserable lives in our midst.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 9, 2005. Read the original PDF.