A recent headline above the staff editorial in my local newspaper read: "Fargo must act quickly to end homeless people loitering downtown."
My pastor's heart broke when I read it. Because decoded, the headline reads: "We must push these undesirables out of our downtown with any means necessary."
Fargo, N.D., which for all practical purposes is still a small city, recently has been experiencing the growing pains that come with growing prosperity. We now stand at a population of about 250,000 ... and growing. And what once was a sleepy, medical and education regional hub on the prairie is growing into a metro area. And the growth is seemingly welcomed by all.
But that growth brings with it the ripple effects that all cities see. As some prosper from the growth, others don't. Experts in our area throw around the figure that we have on average 1,000 people who are homeless in our city each day. And it is a fact that many of them congregate at our city center throughout the day and into the evenings. But it also makes sense because that often is where humanitarian services that offer food, medical care and housing draw in those in need. For instance, in Fargo, the Salvation Army, public housing authority and public health headquarters are located ... downtown.
The trouble -- as the newspaper's editors and much of the business community sees it -- is that the large number of people who are homeless that gather during the day and evening are substance abusers and have "behavioral problems that go along with it."
The editorial was the result of a weeks long discussion that has no gone public in our community. The business owners who have invested in locating in our city's new glamorous and ritzy and tony downtown are aghast that these undesirables are lurking about the city streets, chasing away customers and making a nuisance of themselves. ... Strong language, I know, but it's not mine. In fact, the newspaper's subhead reads: "Downtown Fargo is at risk of losing its luster because of its failure so far to deal with the growing nuisance of panhandlers, drunks and brawlers. Downtown is a gem we can’t afford to see tarnished."
Well, hells bells, gather up the constables and send them forth in their paddy wagons to roust out those derelicts who dare to commit the crime of being without a home! ... Onward, men! No time to lose!
Reading the paper's missive brought to mind the works Charles Dickens, the legendary critic of Victorian England. ... I faced a certain vertigo being thrown back into the 19th century so fast.
"Disruptive, bothersome and even threatening behavior by some who loiter downtown has the potential to derail all of the progress the city and businesses have made in turning the district into a magnet for those seeking unique shopping, entertainment and residential experiences," the editorial read. ... And all I could think of was those unfortunate, genteel folk whose shopping and eating excursions would be tarnished by this these low-life ruffians. My goodness, how could we have let them take hold of our downtown like this!
"The situation is simply unacceptable; it requires immediate and decisive action," the editorial screamed. "Millions of dollars have been invested downtown in recent years, transforming it into a beacon for the metro area. But some business owners are so frustrated that they’re considering relocating if conditions don’t improve."
Bully! ... No room for haste!
And thankfully, the editorial offered two, sure-fire quick fixes: Open a "day center" (read daycare) where the undesirables could be hidden way in the light of day so that the good, upstanding folk of the community could eat their cakes and shop for linens without bother, and increase the police presence! ... Why, with more motivated constables perusing the streets, keeping an eye out for the ne'er-do-wells, then the day's economic activity could commence without interruption.
"Fargo can’t allow these problems to persist and fester," the editorial ended with a flourish!
Indeed! ... Good fellows, I do say, what a blow for economic vitality you struck! And in good time too! ... I feel safer all ready!
All jesting aside ... I'm ashamed of how my city is addressing this public conversation regarding hundreds of our neighbors who deserve to be recognized for brothers and sisters that they are. Oh, I know that it will sound preachy, but seriously rather than trying to figure out ways to make these people who are homeless disappear or to punish them for being homeless, it would be comforting to first hear someone, anyone stand up and shout: These are people whom you are talking about!
And to assume that they are all homeless, or have substance abuse problems or have behavioral issues, we might well spend some time to get to know them and figure out whether there really are troubling issues here or not.
Ok, Ok ... I'm not naive to the situation. I work downtown, and have for a dozen years. My wife also works downtown, and her office actually is at the very corner where the largest numbers of people hang out during the day. And she's admitted to me that on two occasions she's felt anxious about the actions of some while she has been on her daily walk. I also see all of the stories about the crime that takes place downtown, as I do work at the same paper that printed the editorial after all.
So I get that some -- maybe many -- people's sensibilities are offended by the actions they see, or the behavior that is exhibited by a minority of the people who gather downtown. But the manner in which this discussion is taking place alarms me. These fellow human beings are being regarded as nothing more than an impediment to a glitzy and gleaning downtown in which we can show off to the world that we really are an important city! ... No, really! Come shop here! We're urban, but not TOO urban, if you know what we mean! Wink! Wink!
This public conversation in my home city has broken my heart. I used to think that our remoteness, our distance from the left and right coasts, our down-home Midwesterness gave us a reason to be smug over everyone else. I thought that our charity and humanity might be greater because we could afford to be. ... But, ultimately I've learned a harsh lesson about my hometown in the past couple of weeks, and that is: We're just as selfish and obtuse as everyone else. ... Hurrah for us.
Today, I find it hard to keep the faith, but if I am to find it, it must lie in our community having a change in heart. ... Is it possible? I can't say, but we are a people of hope. And I will cling to that.
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