However, I do not approve of most methods of gentrification, especially those that remove residents from their humble neighborhoods (cough) Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul (cough) . Also, I have remorse for those that have commandeered vacated spaces and are left out in, well, the cold. You'll see more of this in the following "preachy-as-hell" comic. As always, click on the image for a larger view.
2 comments:
They should just make the Metrodome into one big homeless shelter. And instead of soup, they could have stale pretzels and beer.
To me the most disturbing thing about gentrification is how it makes the homeless look like criminals. I know many people who won't give money to people on the street because panhandling is a crime in Minnesota. Granted, the money may be better spent on homeless shelters, but people are rarely on the street asking me to give a dollar to a homeless shelter fund. And the old saying among nonprofits is that the best way to raise money is to ask for it.
The criminalization of panhandling has led to the attitude that you shouldn't give money to the homeless because they will just spend it on drugs and booze. There may be some truth behind this stereotype, but honestly, if I was living off the streets I'd probably want some drugs and booze too.
Once upon a time monks and other holy men would wander the streets begging for alms. Now wandering beggars are considered potentially dangerous drunks and drug addicts.
I'll admit that I don't give money to every homeless person I see. I'll admit that some of them are too aggressive and manipulative in their panhandling. But I've never been comfortable with making them out to be criminals just because they have a bad public image.
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