Hemming Park and Homeless Issues Downtown. Administration Rethink.

[NotNow]

I pray for patience and understanding, and the Lord sees fit to provide me with some wonderful examples, but I must admit that I often don't measure up to the Christian principles as I want to.   Although I am not angered, I know that I have a large well of disappointment in many of those that I come into contact with.  The waste of the gift of life just staggers me at times.  Although I would never claim to know the mind of God, I struggle to balance between Christian charity and requiring each man to bear his share of responsibility for our society.

[jbm32206]

You nailed it, NotNow....and once again, you've voiced pretty much how I too, feel

[gatorback]

I am sorry you both struggle with christian values.  My commitment to them is that I don't judge them.  Once I get a job, I want to begin giving to my church again so that my work can go to do God's work.  In Jesus' name.

[jbm32206]

No need to feel sorry for me....it's but a tiny fraction of the totality of my faith.

[gatorback]

I know the bible is full of malarkey that has been passed down through generations; however, there are a couple of things I do know to be true.  First, Jesus Christ was a man who walked on this earth and died for my sins.  He taught me to love my God above all else, love myself and love my neighbor.  That in this world we live in today, to many people forget that.  I'm not judging, I'm just saying that if people lived a more christian life then perhaps those less fortunate then us could live with a life that has just a little bit more dignity. Again, this isn't directed at anyone, I'm just saying I feel we all fall short in the "love thy neighbor" department.

A part of my love toward each homeless person stems from knowing that I once was almost like them.

[jbm32206]

You can love they neighbor, but that doesn't mean you have to like them. You can love their soul, but not the person they are.

[gatorback]

You must be not liking more and more people at an alarming rate these days.  Typically a disproportionate of the homeless are veterans, kids having been on the street since their teens, and the mentally ill, alcoholics, and drug abusers.  But now people whose home are foreclosed, or their land lord's rental unit being foreclosed are hitting the streets.  Either, they have no family, or don't want to burden them, or their families are struggling and cannot take them in.  You don't know their situation.  Not giving them the benefit of the doubt is not love in my book.  And if it's not love it's hate.  It's black and white like that.

[jason_contentdg]

Toronto's report on Streets to Homes Program:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2009/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-18574.pdf

[Karl_Pilkington]

Not giving them the benefit of the doubt is not love in my book.  And if it's not love it's hate.  It's black and white like that.

you know, I don't really love Jacksonville, but I surely don't hate it, no in between there gatorback?  sounds like extremism to me.... "love it or leave it", "skate or die" etc.. where does ambivalence fit in for the laid back, non-type A slacker types?

[gatorback]

Thanks for the post JoeMerchant.  A local TV station in Houston, had this program on this past Saturday. Does Jacksonville have something like this?  Feel free to make a direct donation.  I salute this guy for doing something to help our service veterans.

http://www.usvetsinc.org/locations/location.asp?id=7

[gatorback]

Clearly you're not the one judging the homeless.  By the way.  I've met you before.  I could never forget that roundy baldy monkey head of yours.

[Coolyfett]

New York City has not FIXED their homeless problem as many are stating. *shaking head*.....There really is no way to get rid of these people. Fear/insecurity is what keeps people away from the homeless people. Man its like whatever for me. Ill buy something right in front of a homeless dude, they ask me for money, the answer is....NO...and I am on my way as if they were never there and I was never there. Maybe I am just used to them....like tall buildings, busy streets, business people to and from work, bums seem to be things I expect to see when I am in downtown of any city. I definitely do not agree with jailing them. What is the real problem with bums? You feel like you are so great you do not deserve to be bothered? In the day of telemarketing calls and spam email, everyone is so high and mighty no one can bother them? I have news for you people, you will be bothered, learn to deal with life and stop sheltering yourself. If such and such has a great pizza joint downtown near Hemming Plaza I will go there, buy pizza and go outside and eat it in Hemming Plaza. If you want downtown to be great, support downtown, don't avoid it because you think the dirty little bum will approach you. How are we working people with our hard earned money letting homeless people decide where we spend our money? Punk ass Johnny Boy is not worried about bums in Hemming Plaza, dude's term is almost over. How do we fix the bum problem? WE DON'T, we just support what we feel needs the support. If you want downtown to be great, visit it, support it, participate and keep it moving. Jacksonville is a CITY after all.

[sheclown]

You make such a good point, Coolyfett.  I mean dodging the bumming-for-a-buck is hardly different than getting that pesky phone call from a telemarketer when I am in my jammies watching NCIS. It is invasive, but it is part of life.

Actually, bumming for a buck is probably a much more honest approach. 

[jbm32206]

You must be not liking more and more people at an alarming rate these days.  Typically a disproportionate of the homeless are veterans, kids having been on the street since their teens, and the mentally ill, alcoholics, and drug abusers.  But now people whose home are foreclosed, or their land lord's rental unit being foreclosed are hitting the streets.  Either, they have no family, or don't want to burden them, or their families are struggling and cannot take them in.  You don't know their situation.  Not giving them the benefit of the doubt is not love in my book.  And if it's not love it's hate.  It's black and white like that.

You don't know me and haven't a clue as to how I feel...so don't presume to know how I feel. I never said that there's a large number of people I don't like....so don't put words into my mouth....I said I don't feel empathy for those who choose to live the life on the streets as criminals and/or drug abusers. I also said that I have helped and would continue to help those that truly need it...the ones that have fallen on hard times through circumstances beyond their control.

I said that you can love ones soul but not the person they are...how you construed that into hate, is beyond me. You're trying to make it seem like I flat out said I hate the homeless....and that's completely wrong. Again, don't presume to know how I feel or what action I've taken (and continue) to help. And it really isn't as black and white as you'd like to think....simply for the fact that there's many, many factors that contribute to the situation and the problem.

[gatorback]

It's not really important, but somebody did say how you felt a on page 3 toward the middle. I was just going with what they said.  Regardless, I find it inspiring finding how others personally help those in the situation that others have no empathy for. What if everybody felt that way.  I look at drug addiction and alcohol addiction as a disease.    I don't hate the person I hate the disease.  And getting these people clean is more important then just letting them go. This is just my opinion.