Healing Greensboro - Part 2

Nice editorial, News & Record.  I'm not one to write much about local issues, and I hate to think of turning my little site into a soapbox.  But I think you left some things out. 

I'm in agreement with all you said in the editorial, Healing Greensboro.  But in order to heal Greensboro, some other, just as important, things need to be done.

End homelessness.  Your own writer, Lorraine Ahern, wrote this about efforts to help the homeless.  Good article, Lorraine.  Now what can we do about it?   Where to even begin?  How many agencies in this town alone work to try to eliminate this problem, but yet it still exists.  Sure, some people choose to be homeless, but there's a whole bunch that it seems like we could help if only we really wanted to.  One solution - round up all the folks who live in Irving Park or on Sunset Drive and make them deliver the food/toiletries bags to the West Lee Street area.  It seems like the folks who are one paycheck away from homelessness themselves are always the ones helping.  Hey, rich people! You don't need another blood-stained diamond from DeBeers for Christmas or Hanukkah, or another Hummer to park in your circular driveway.  I hope Santa brings you a conscience for whatever holiday you celebrate.

Fix the mental health system.  People are going in and out through a revolving door of shame and increased pain.  The hospital monopoly in this town needs to wake up and realize that not fixing the mental health system is adding to the problems of crime, poverty, drug use, and domestic violence.  

Make the town safe again.  The MS-13 gang just killed people last night on High Point Road.  Is this not some sort of wake-up call?  My good friend (he knows who he is) lives in a neighborhood controlled by a gang.  I never thought I would hear of this, in Greensboro - MY Greensboro, my hometown, the place where I always felt safe.  It's enough to make you agoraphobic, I tell you, and then you have to deal with MCBH again. 

So, yeah, News & Record, appreciate all your editorializing about reconciliation and let's all make nice-nice.  But fix some real problems too: homelessness, poverty, gangs, mental health.  Then we will have a city we can love and be proud to call home again.

This was a rant, I admit, but hey, everybody has to have one, right?

I'm going to throw some acorns for Scamper now.