But, to get to the point, in relation to my homeless acquaintance's concerns, about why agencies, society and such, "operate" the way they do, is to say that we, the homeless, and concerned people everywhere, have just not "had enough say", enough power, influence, or "participation", in the process. Someone (usually a "vested interest"), has "told" us, or someone else, what to do, and then, because the money/funding "game" was the only "game" in town, it was done that way, since the "money" (quote-unquote) "wanted it that way". In other words, "representative democracy" was at work, with your "representative" - your congressman, politician, OR your dollar bill (as influenced by others), determining where, who and what "responsibility" was enacted - you, of course, NOT being involved in the process (not responsible). So, you did NOT "participate", other than quite indirectly, which is, of course, no participation OR RESPONSIBILITY, at all!
I've often said that, back in the "old days", one "charged" another with one's "responsibility", in order that that "other" (representative) might then ride 500 miles to "vote" your "responsibility". But this is another day and another age. Responsibility needs to be exercised INSTANTLY AND DIRECTLY, and it certainly IS possible to do so, with the technologies that we have today!
So, once my homeless friend understood this (which some people might call the start of taking back responsibility for oneself), I had to ask him, "Well, what would you have done about it?" And lo and behold, he told me a most obvious "truth", that most agencies and most of society have yet to realize. He said, "Well, haven't you always said that it is the individual, alone, who does KNOW, and understand, who and what one's situation "is" and what is "needed" (IF, of course, one "knows" themselves, AND much more)?" I said, "Yes?" "Well then," he continued, "If only WE know ourselves and our needs, why is it that everyone else is trying to tell us what to do? I go down to the welfare office (or wherever), and the welfare-lady is telling me I have to "do this", "do that", and so on and on. Now WHY can't I go down there, and TELL THEM what to "do" - what I need, exactly, without someone trying to tell me what to do - and then HAVE IT DONE, exactly as I need it?"
Okay, my friend WAS "getting close" to a basic truth - that in a "representative democracy", one is NOT EXPECTED to "know" what to "do" (much less "know" anything at all!). It is our "representatives", and other third-party "agents" (scientists, legislators, economists, bankers, physicians, social workers, psychologists, ministers, etc., AND THE DOLLAR BILL), who are there, to tell us what to do (believing, of course, that they are "acting for" us, on our behalf, or for our own good).
Well, contrary to such mish-mash, my friend now realizes that man DOES have it within his power to change such a situation. He/She/All of Us, CAN "create" a "participatory democracy", in which RESPONSIBILITY is absolute and paramount, being "vested" (as it should be) with each and every individual - NOT some "third-party-agent" (of responsibility), whether "representative" OR monetary!
So, then I asked my friend, "Well, if you could have your say (participatory democracy), how do you think it would work out?" And, lo and behold, common sense and eternal truth did yet seem to prevail. He told me of a lady friend of his, who apparently DID benefit from "participatory democracy", proving that the rudiments and beginnings of such ARE alive and well, across the land. (In proving this point further, we shall, in up-coming Sermons and other pieces, explore further the societal aspects of "participatory democracy". See also the Local Color pages of this Website, and Doctor Bugaboo's Ramblings, for further perspective.) Anyway, it seems his homeless lady-friend was in the park (Central Park, San Mateo) with her kids on a weekend, with all enjoying the kid's play area. While she was sitting on a bench, watching her kids, she got into a conversation with a gentleman who also had his kids there, enjoying the play area. Well, to make a long story short, he was a lawyer and they found something to talk about, she having also completed many years of schooling in the "law", but not quite yet making it to the graduate level. Anyway, my friend happened to see his lady-friend in the Park some time later and found out that they had gotten married, the lawyer and his once-homeless lady-friend. She was now non-homeless, working with her husband, enjoying a new life and all was well. (That such should occur, for another long-time "habitue" of the Park, by the name of Michelle, who, I understand, used to be a lawyer herself, but "burnt-out" somehow and has been homeless ever since.)
Anyway, the point is, that people, and especially homeless people, CAN "take back responsibility" for themselves, BY "telling" society exactly what it is that they need and want. AND society itself can help. Instead of "agencies", welfare-ladies, etc., "telling people what to do"......HOW ABOUT, if, instead of such, each and every citizen, of our lands, were to "go into the streets", go into the parks, go into the ghettos, go into the classrooms, go into the businesses, and GO WHEREVER, the poor, the homeless, the low-income, the disadvantaged - congregate, travel, work, play, AND "ARE" - and merely ASK them, what they need, who they are, and what is NEEDED (instead of hiding behind one's biases, opinions, suspicions, etc., of the homeless)! Who knows? You might meet some wonderful soul, like my homeless friend's lady-friend did.
Now, of course, I realize that, in order for most people to do such a thing, most people will have to get a certain amount of "baggage" out of the way. And such "baggage" does usually emcompass such things as "economic differences", as well as attitudes, about any and everything. (See my syndicated commentaries, elsewhere on these website pages, for more discussion on such topics - Doctor Bugaboo's Ramblings, on the Local Color pages.) In other words, most of us would have to put that "third-party-agent" of responsibility - REPRESENTATION, whether it be the dollar bill or otherwise, OUT OF THE WAY, and out-of-mind, out-of-concern, and TAKE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY, for our words, actions and deeds, in "participating", with others and all of society, in bringing the homeless, the disadvantaged, the disenfranchised, and other such dis-connected "peoples", back, again, into "connection", into participation, with the larger society, so that one and all can benefit from their talents and abilities.
BUT, be careful, because ALL individuals - especially the homeless - NEED TO BE RESPECTED, and accepted, for who and what they "are", as unique (AND valuable) persons and individuals, who CAN make their own contributions TO our society, IF GIVEN the opportunity to do so, ON THEIR OWN TERMS! After all, if we "know" who and what we "are", why should they, the least of us, be denied the chance to "know" and to BE, who and what they are! Again, of course, the principle is the same - "Do Unto Others, As You Would Have Others Do Unto You!"
I am also reminded of a very poignant occurrence, that happened along Richard Nixon's final campaign-tour-for-reelection across America. As I understand it, the President's "whistle-stop" train had just pulled in to a small town railway station somewhere in heart-land America. As the President emerged upon the reardeck of the observation car, he spied a young girl standing in front of the crowd, carrying a sign, that had a simple plea - "Bring Us Together, Mr. President!" May such yet be, across America, the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave", who CAN CHANGE THEIR DESTINY! Father Jerome.
A homeless acquaintance asked me the other day, "Why don't (he/she/it, agency, society) do such and such?" I had to answer, "Because people have created (it) to be the way it is, which inevitably has met the needs of some people, but not everybody." I then felt the need to explain further. "You know, of course, what man has created, he can re-create, to "make" whatever it is, better. Usually, however, it does take more than just the few who "created" (it) in the first place (who had, probably, their specific, vested interests, in doing so)." Remember, as I believe Hillary Clinton has said, "It takes a community, to take care of a child!" Well, if that "child" is a service, or something that has been created to serve the needs of people, it usually takes "people" (plural) to DO something "right" (OF COURSE, it certainly COULD be "wrong", but that usually occurs only when there are too few people participating, and "vested interests" can have their way), in changing "it" to something better.
Aum, Peace, Amen!
Reply to: fatherjeromeusa@fiwd.org