OTHER Problems at Libraries

[Caracal]

So, on libraries we get from books to the homeless. Only a government operation can even consider this.

There's a good book

Homelessness Is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns, Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern, U California Press 2022.

In public discussion homelessness is usually associated with addiction and mental illness and further personal problems. The authors do something very clever -- they examine the regional variation of homelessness, for in each region the personal causes will tend to have  the same frequency.

Guess what? Homelessness is caused by lack of homes, which leads to high rents, which leads to every personal problem causing homelessness. It is highly concentrated by State -- New York, California, and only a few others.

Those high prices are caused by homeowners acting politically as NIMBY's. As  usual, the problem is us.

And problems are all more acute on both an individual and external level when people are unhomed. A lot more bad things can happen to someone who has a drinking problem on the street. It's a lot safer to pass out drunk on your couch than in the street and you're not going to use nearly as many emergency services.

[AmLitHist]

arsewipe unbelievers

From "scumbag junkies" to "arsewipe unbelievers."  Dang, K16, definitely the language of Christ.

Gosh.  Since my post apparently led to that label, I'm kind of. . . . honored?  I used to only be a Dear Lady.  Is this a promotion or a demotion?

I restate my original question in that earlier response:  How about just trying to be decent to other people (no matter what kind of name or label one claims for themself or tries to affix to others)--both in society at large, or in this particular discussion board?

And genuinely asking (not trying to be sarcastic): where does the line lie between civil disagreement and personal attack on The Fora these days? The first item on the list of Fora rules reads, "1. Don't personally attack or harass other users. You know what crosses this line, don't do it." If I crossed it, I do apologize. That was in no way my intent.

However, because I/others had the temerity to offer alternate points of view--in a direct answer to the question of "what a proper Christian attitude" might be--that does not make us ignorant, unfit for engagement in calm and rational conversation (even if that conversation becomes lively), intellectually unfit, deserving of being targeted with playground name-calling, or any of the rest.

Earlier this spring, a thread discussed why the activity on this forum has declined from previous levels. For some, perhaps this thread is an example of at least one possible reason.

Finally, to apl68:  I do sincerely apologize for my contribution in derailing the focus of your original thread. You've raised an interesting and serious concern in your field, and in society more broadly, and I did not intend in any way to minimize it. I meant no disrespect to you or the topic, truly.

[lightning]

I've been following this thread, even after it got derailed (partly my fault as well). All the interesting rhetoric has buried the underlying question that k16 and others have posed, whether directly or indirectly: What exactly are we supposed to do to combat homelessness, drug addiction, mental illnesses, et al?

It's easy for us to wag our fingers and vilify someone like k16 who uses derogatory references, because it can be absolving of our own behavior, choices, and secret values, when we jump on k16 for using  the derogatory references, but not going much beyond that in advocating and supporting the homeless and those with mental issues and substance addictions.

If a homeless family showed up at your door and asked to stay at your place? What would you do? What would Jesus do?

Yeah, I thought so.

The problem is us.

[eigen]

Ok, I'm closing this and issuing some warnings.

As a reminder, while we do have a pretty high threshold for letting people work things out in threads, "no personal attacks" is one of the few rules we do have, and there are posts here that absolutely cross that line.