Robert L. Terrell

I have been patiently waiting since the beginning of the current presidential campaign for the dialogue to focus on homelessness.  Unfortunately, with the passage of each stage of the campaign, it has become abundantly clear to me that unless something untoward occurs homelessness will remain “off the table” with regard to the primary priorities of the major parties, and their otherwise preoccupied candidates.  This is highly unfortunate, and my hope is that some of the responsible participants in the upcoming conventions, journalists included, do whatever is necessary to get homelessness addressed in a responsible manner.

I am not revealing a state secret by pointing out that millions of U.S. citizens are homeless.  It is difficult to impossible to navigate the streets of the nation’s major cities without encountering large numbers of desperately poor homeless people, commonly subsisting in wretched circumstances akin to those heretofore associated most notably with urban poverty in desperately poor Third World nations.  Nonetheless, homelessness is being completely ignored by Senators Obama and McCain.  This is due to several factors, not the least of them being the fact that homeless people do not tend to be voters.

Another important reason why this social cancer is being ignored is the ominous, unacknowledged recognition that widespread, persistent homelessness of the sort common on the streets of this nation’s major cities is undeniable proof that our current economic system is failing.  Moreover, this failure seems to be exerting negative impact on our collective sense mutual support and social cohesion.

Some of us remember times in the not too distant past when homelessness did not exist on such a grand scale in this nation.  We also remember times when critical problems of this sort were publicly discussed, and addressed with the belief that they would be ameliorated, if not eliminated.  But times have obviously changed.  Nonetheless, endemic social problems can neither be ameliorated nor eliminated unless they are acknowledged.  Ignoring them tends to make things worse, and unfortunately the mainstream political establishment has adopted that tactic regarding homelessness.

 One of the most unfortunate results is that during the 20-odd yeas since homeless people have emerged as a more of less permanent segment of the urban populace we still do not have a coherent, unified properly funded and carefully monitored national plan for dealing with the problem.  Moreover, there are many good reasons to believe that during the years immediately ahead millions more may well be added to ranks of the nation’s homeless due to the  current recession, and the still metastasizing sub prime mortgage crisis.

Given the magnitude of the problem, and what it undeniably signifies regarding the overall inadequacy of the nation’s current economic order, I am astounded that homelessness is not at or near the top of the priorities list of all those who claim commitment to doing what’s best for America.  In this particular case, doing what’s best for America requires that homelessness be acknowledged and formally addressed in a comprehensive manner.  Those who attend the upcoming presidential conventions will provide valuable service to the nation, not to mention its ominously growing contingent of homeless people, if they insist that this be done.