Providing A Platform Through Which Knoxville's Homeless Community Can Speak
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in this ISSUE
TO DIE ANOTHER DAY
Bringing about systemic change is hard work, and the vested interests of the unaffected are always there and ready to fight or “reason” us away. And quite honestly, it seems easier to rally an effort around collecting blankets than to work towards the basic needs of affordable housing and a living wage. And the dark side of me wonders if the good feeling one gets from extending charity is addictive to the point that it contributes to our lack of urgency, or even an organization’s fear of working itself out of a paycheck.
There are many homeless members of our community who will be inexpressibly thankful that their neighbors will rally around the urgent need of warmth and food this winter, but we neighbors must work towards systemic solutions, we must. It is inexcusable for a capable community to gin up enthusiastic generosity towards the homeless because of the immediacy of the moment, saving them only to die another day.
LINDA SHROPSHIRE
My friend for nearly fifteen years, Linda, surrendered to the cold on January seventeenth.
She died an undignified and undeserved death behind a dumpster.
Linda and I had much in common, and shared an unpretentious disgust for societies manipulated by privilege.
It was rare, but priceless when she laughed.
If Linda’s in a ‘better place,’ it’s only because any place is arguably better than a world where one’s warmth is dependent upon providing someone with a profit.
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