Please Join Me! Write Denver Post about Homeless Shelter News!

[bobbolink]

I"m enraged about some of the comments in this article:

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4334156

If you are not a Colorado resident, but an artfan, how 'bout writing and letting them know you would attend the opening, and appreciate the shelter!

If you have been or could be in the future a visitor to Denver, how 'bout letting 'em know a shelter certainly wouldn't be a negative influence on your visit!

I'm so sick of these attacks, and the idea that saving lives of poor people is of no import.

Please, join me in flooding the Denver Post with letters of support for a Homeless Shelter!

Thanks!

[Monkeyman]

1. Done

33 percent of the homeless are veterans. You need not ask this vet twice Thank You

[bobbolink]

4. Thanks so much, Monkeyman! Thanks for your service, and your

continuuing support of other vets.

May I ask... I should have put this in the original post... Would you mind sharing what you wrote, especially considering your thoughts you have expressed here?

I'd be most interested.

Thanks again! :hi:

[calimary]

2. Kicking this. We've got many a homeless vet around here, too.

The VA in West L.A. is located near some of the ritziest real estate not only in So Cal but in all of America. And there, too, you see homeless vets at street corners. AMAZING. It's also most revealing to see the big-ass SUVs with their "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers whizzing past some of these guys. I hope if there's a next life, that every one of THEM comes back as a homeless person.

I can't believe anybody would turn his or her back on the poor. But when it's poor veterans - that's just too damned much.

:grr:

[lonestarnot]

6. So disgusting! I see this population increasing in leaps and bounds soon.

I hope they come back as one tooo! Serve their asses well.

[bobbolink]

8. I'm not leaping or bounding, but I've increased the homeless population by

ONE.

And ANY number is waaay too much!

Thanks!

[lonestarnot]

9. I'm sorry bobbolink! I hope you find a home soon.

[bobbolink]

7. Thanks, calimary! NOt all of us without homes are vets, and none

of us deserve the crap we get in this country!

If those jerks are "embarrassed", then well they *should* be!!

BASTA!

[calimary]

26. Certainly true, bobbolink. It's horrendous that so many of our vets

are homeless or face homelessness, but then again, it's an absolute SIN that ANY American, veteran or not, should be saddled with such a fate. We're supposed to be the richest and most blessed country in the world. Er - uh - well, we WERE supposed to be the richest and most blessed country in the world - at least until Caligula 2.0 got his hands on the steering wheel. Even so, with all the money we have, from somewhere, to squander in Iraq, imagine how many of the poor and homeless could have at least minimal quality-of-life support.

I always like to remind people: "I know where we can get 100-thousand bucks A MINUTE." They ALWAYS brighten up with great interest, no matter what political persuasion. Then I close the deal: "STOP THE WAR. Bring everybody HOME." The reactions are always interesting to watch, especially when you frame it that way. Anybody can get his or her mind around the concept of 100-thousand bucks A MINUTE. Who was it - Dirksen? Fulbright? Somebody of that olden-days ilk said "a million here, a million there, soon enough it starts adding up to real money." I forget who said it, AND the exact quote, but that was the gist. It's hard to grasp numbers as high as those we're squandering in Iraq. But 100-thousand bucks A MINUTE is a lot easier to wrap your brain around.

[calimary]

3. Again, just to push it back up.

n/t

[lonestarnot]

5. We should all be taking action on this one!

[lonestarnot]

10. Oh gee isn't that just too fucking bad! Cry me a river after I puke on

you. "Bringing more homeless into the Civic Center area is "disgusting" and "such an embarrassment," said Kevin Gramer, director of the Byers-Evans House Museum a block away. "It's right in front of everything, in front of everyone to see," he said.


What a fucking ass!

[bobbolink]

11. He badly NEEDS to be embarrassed!!

Lacking a soul *is* very embarrassing!

Makes me wanna organize a whole parade of homeless folks, right in front of the vaunted Byers-Evans House Museum!

"I L O V E a parade!"

[lonestarnot]

13. Yes a parade would be nice. Ask him if he has a spare room,

out back, ewwww where no one can see. What a freak. Out of sight out of mind to him.

[calimary]

31. A little mortification is good for the soul.

Sounds like it'd be good in this case.

[bobbolink]

34. Leave it to a writer to come up with the perfect response! Hope you

wrote that in your LTTE! :)



:hi:

[H2O Man]

12. Nominated.

I've long been interested in the issues related to homeless teens & youth. Part of that interest was sparked, no doubt, from my own experiences as a teen. A percentage of homeless young people are those who come from poor families, where the entire family is without housing. But a larger percentage is made up of young people from across the economic span, from wealthy to poor, who leave home willingly or are kicked out. They may be the kid in the small town who stays for a period in a friend's home, or the growing number of urban homeless youth who inhabit the back alleys or railroad tracks.

The potential range of problems that face homeless teens and youth are among the most serious facing our society. It troubles me when I hear public persons saying that our society cares about the younger generation. We tend to be very selective in that caring.

[bobbolink]

14. Shelters for homeless youth in Denver have had a bad struggle!

There are a few people who are committed to helping these kids, but they have had such a horrible uphill fight.

Thanks for adding to this thread, reminding us of the kids, and I hope you will write to the Post about this! I'm so tired of only the RW sounding off on this issue!!!

[lonestarnot]

16. Writing the reporter in the link.

[lonestarnot]

15. and apparently selective in choosing locations for art over locations

for homeless. Too much for me to handle sometimes. Makes me furious.

[bobbolink]

17. "Putting a homeless shelter a block away from the extension

could expose the city's soft underbelly--its chronic homeless problem--to an international audience, said Riddle Lima, who owns the Native American Trading CO., a block from the proposed shelter."

Well, expose away, I say!

It's about time they were embarrassed for citizens and visitors alike to see the failure to house ALL!

"soft underbelly". Amazing.

You're doing quite well, Lima, so stop complaining and add to the solution instead of the problem!

[bobbolink]

18. kick for the evening crew.... please, write the Post!

[intheflow]

19. Isn't a purpose of art to examine the human condition in its many facets?

Edgar Degas - Beggar Woman


Pablo Picasso - Old Beggar with a Boy




This museum's comments on the homeless are among the ugliest things I've ever read.

[lonestarnot]

21. They certainly deserve a letter writing campaign.

[bobbolink]

33. Great point, intheflow!! I hope you wrote just that in a LTTE!!

Excellent, and thanx so much for including the painting!

[Jcrowley]

20. Homelessness

is one of those topics that is simply off the radar for it shows the true depravity of this society. We hear endless reports about the hallowed middle class and even more about the business elites but scarcely a breathe about the lower class and nary a whisper about the "invisible" people unless it's "What do we do with this problem" type of talk from The Chamber of Commerce.

On any given night in America, anywhere from 700,000 to 2 million people are homeless, according to estimates of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.

According to a December, 2000 report of the US Conference of Mayors:
• single men comprise 44 percent of the homeless, single women 13 percent, families with children 36 percent, and unaccompanied minors seven percent.
• the homeless population is about 50 percent African-American, 35 percent white, 12 percent Hispanic, 2 percent Native American and 1 percent Asian.

According to the 1996 National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC):
• single homeless individuals in 1996 reported an average income of $348 during the last 30 days, about 51 percent of the 1996 federal poverty level of $680/month for one person.
• 28 percent said they sometimes or often do not get enough to eat, compared with 12 percent of poor American adults.
• 44 percent did paid work during the past month.
• 21 percent received income from family members or friends.
• 66 percent of the homeless have problems with alcohol, drug abuse, or mental illness.
• 22 percent have been physically assaulted.
• 7 percent have been sexually assaulted.
• 38 percent say someone stole money or things directly from them.
• 30 percent have been homeless for more than two years.

http://www.policyalmanac.org/social_welfare/homeless.shtml

Of course these are statistics they don't tell the whole story:

[lonestarnot]

22. Wonder why no stats from them on homeless vets?

[Jcrowley]

25. Who are homeless veterans?

The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says homeless veterans are mostly males (2 % are females). The vast majority are single, most come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse problems. America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Forty-seven percent of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. More than 67% served our country for at least three years and 33% were stationed in a war zone.

How many homeless veterans are there?

Although accurate numbers are impossible to come by ... no one keeps national records on homeless veterans ... the VA estimates that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. And more than half a million experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless males who is sleeping in a doorway, alley, or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served our country ... now they need America to remember them.

http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm

[lonestarnot]

27. Damn straight they need America to remember them!

They need to be taken care of, not thrown out like so much trash. Guess there just isn't room for them in the budget either. Only thing there's room for in the deficit is more war budget deficits. Vets coming home are coming home to repoed homes, financial disasters, credit card debt at 30% interest due to late pays. Plight does not stop. No wonder so many are homeless.

[bobbolink]

35. Sadly, the numbers for homeless women vets will change.

The reports are that women are suffering PTSD from Iraq in much higher numbers than men.

:grr:

I get so upset over all this that I have a hard time talking about it.

Thanks for your input!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

23. I live within walking distance to 14th and Bannock.

I am fine with this. It sounds like it's a win/win, and, BTW, the Golden Triangle is a great neighborhood.

The Art Museum addition is pretentious nonsense. MKJ

edited to add: I moved into Denver from the exurbs, very recently, after decades of visiting. Thanks for educating me on ridiculousness in my own neighborhood. MKJ

[bobbolink]

36. You're so welcome... thanks for replying! I hope you're sending in

a great LTTE to that effect, because what you said needs to be heard by the rest of the city.

OK, so you could leave out the "pretentious" in an LTTE. :) Seriously, please send this in as an LTTE!!!

Much appreciated!!

[Sapphire Blue]

24. They keep trying to sweep homelessness & poverty under the rug.

It's getting pretty hard to hide anything under there anymore... like trying to cover the Himalayas w/a bath mat.

I am deeply saddened & disgusted w/the gentrification of America and the discarding of all who don't fit in w/the 'gentry'... anything & everything that offends their vain sensibilities… as though extreme wealth & the attached social status is the only thing of any value in this shameful society.

In this 'pro-life', 'moral values' bushamerica, what is the value of a human life other than fertilizer?

[lonestarnot]

28. Your analogy is too perfect. Will it errupt or will we just stretch the

bath mat?

[Sapphire Blue]

29. Ain't no bath mat gonna cover the Himalayas, no matter what you do to it.

[lonestarnot]

30. Working for some 36% of America.

[bobbolink]

37. Incredible analogy!! May I quote you? ^_^ As with the others,

I hope you write that in an LTTE, because that's just the kind of letter that gets printed, and that makes an impression on readers.

Please, send it in! I'll look for it in the Sunday Post! :hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

38. Yes, of course you can. Did you see this LTTE?

Letters, 9/15

City's plan to shelter homeless near museums

{ ~ 2nd letter down ~ }

The Post writes, "Bringing more homeless into the Civic Center area is 'disgusting' and 'such an embarrassment,' said Kevin Gramer, director of the Byers-Evans House Museum ... ." What is disgusting and embarrassing is that we spend millions of dollars on an expansion to the art museum when we have homeless and hungry people struggling to survive in its shadow.

I'm all for the arts, but basic human necessities must come first. Gramer and Riddle Lima, who owns the Native American Trading Co., should both be ashamed of themselves for caring so little about the community they purport to serve. We will never solve the problem of homelessness if we continue to try to sweep it out of sight.

http://www.denverpost.com/letters/ci_4339421

[bobbolink]

39. Great LTTE!! Thanks, I hadn't seen that.

I don't often look at the local paper online, and hadn't seen the recent issue. It's great to know that at least one person had the same thoughts.

I hope some out-of-towners write in against this attitude, as that will affect local readers even more. They are so worried about their "bottom line", and downtown, that means visitors.

I'm not into shame, and don't believe it's an effective motivator, but I had to admit that I agree those two *should* be ashamed of themselves and their crappy attitude. I've been into the Native American Trading Co. a number of times, and feel like letting them know I won't be there again until/unless they can grow a heart.

[lonestarnot]

32. Kicking for Bobbolink!