I live in Daytona Beach, florida. In fact i live at its almost exact center. As such i see homeless people.. a lot. Despite sclm spin the homeless consist of men, women, and children. Some are substance abusers, some just cant find a job.. some have jobs but cant afford a place to live.
And five minutes ago i got a sign of hope from the most unexpected of places.
Riding my bike up to grab a hamburger i saw a man in a wheelchair at the intersection holding a sign. The sign said "Register to vote by February 8th! Dont let Bush steal another election".
I went to the man and asked to take his picture. I figured he was a vet, and asked him who he supported. He told me he was a preacher. And that the reason he was ABB was that the Bush was a liar and a murderer. That he sent our boys off to die in Iraq based on a lie and that they were still dying and it had to stop.
The man worded it more eloquently than i ever could. He was older.. probably mid 60's. He appeared to be homeless and in extremely bad health. Yet of all the things he could of done in one of the worlds most beautiful cities, a mile from the beach, 500 feet from the river and some beautiful parks he chose to sit out on a street corner risking right wing abuse and police harassment.
While talking to him i met two other men nearby. One was homeless and in bad shape. An alchoholic by his breath.. who gave me a very reasoned conversation on why we had to get Bush out of office. Then i rode down a bit farther and met a third. He was making the most stunningly beautiful flowers out of leaves you've ever seen. Homeless as well.. in good health apparently but worse for wear. I told him he should make a lot and sell them at the flea market, that he could make a fortune. He gave me a rueful smile and said something like "ahh i wish i could". Something very sad in his eyes.
You could tell this man had had some very bad luck and was just surviving. Despite the fact he had an artistic gift id kill for.
Why does this give me hope? Normally our self-appointed pundits are upper middle class white males who pronounce from on high what is good for us. Their parents sent them to the best schools, bought them cars and houses to get them started in life. They are bored by 'the homeless story' as it is so yesterday. They tell us that welfare reform is good. That the working class will simply have to accept competing with chinese slave labor. That the federal reserves' role of keeping unemployment above 4% is a necessity and good for us.
But i heard more wisdom in the words of these people. People who dont have those advantages. People who society, and America has abandoned and pretends dont exist. They are willing to fight for america. Without pay. Without personal gain. It is a lesson people like the Democrats claiming to represent us could take to heart.
Sometimes its not about you
Sometimes its about America