After reading Mr. R. Chris Cruz’ letter to this fine newspaper (SMDP, May 19, page 4), I am elated. Mr. Cruz has shown the initiative which all the homeless in Santa Monica should show. He has used his voice to tell his story. He has used his voice to show those who would show contempt prior to investigation for the Santa Monica homeless community of that we who belong to the homeless community are human beings. We are not refuse that is cast upon the doorstep of this great city, but a people who are living on the brink of and sometimes falling into despair. Living our lives one day at a time just to survive.
We are a people, whom in some circles of society are deemed worthless, stereotyped as dirty smelly drunk drug-addicted criminals whose only contribution to society is to live off the fortunes of others through begging, robbing or drug dealing, or through the homeless agencies which are supported by the city and people within this city who care. And while I am not saying this does not go on within this community, it is not a representation of the community as a whole. Mr. Cruz has chosen to have a voice within this society, chosen to use his right to free speech and speak out against those who would undermine the self-esteem of anyone who is homeless, who is trying to put his or her life back together through any legal means necessary.
This feeling of being cursed, which most of us who are homeless feel at one time or another to some lesser or greater degree, is a by-product of the unkind words and treatment of the homeless community by those who do not want us around. And, I feel these people and entities do not want us around because we are but a very visual symptom of the real disease — that of which is the greed and avarice which has permeated this society and is one of the major causes of homelessness and poverty within this great country of ours. They do not want anyone to notice their hand in the cookie jar and have to have a smokescreen up so we will not notice this is going on behind the scenes, thus any loss of income within the business is blamed upon the Santa Monica homeless community as a whole, not on the high cost of virtually everything needed to sustain a quality of life.
He has shown through this short synopsis of his story the discrimination which has been shown to those of us who are homeless in finding work and housing because of the fact that we are homeless. Discrimination being in the form of not LETTERS, from page 4
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 24, 2005. Read the original PDF.