Opposing Views: Homelessness around campus

RUNNING THE ‘GAUNTLET’

by Haile Zerabruk

The homeless are part of city life, there’s no denying it. While some consider them an eyesore to the city and others a non-issue, I fall somewhere in the middle.

It is unfortunate there are homeless people, and I regret that their journey in life has forced them to their current situation.

Whether they’ve become homeless from mental illness, alcohol and drug abuse or poor financial planning, it’s heartbreaking to see someone without a home.

I have no problem with the homeless sleeping in Monroe Park, sitting on a park bench or hanging around bus stops. As long as they’re minding their own business and not hurting anyone, I believe they have a right to be there and should be left alone.

Having said that, I believe conversely that if I’m walking down the street I have the same right to be left alone without being asked for spare change.

As a rule, I don’t give change to homeless people anymore and don’t believe other VCU students should either.

I wasn’t always this jaded. During my freshman year here at VCU there must have been a red “X” on my forehead. I offered a dollar here and a quarter there without hesitation to nearly everyone who asked. Coming from the suburbs, I didn’t have much experience with homeless people and simply did not know how to say “no” without seeming rude.

I gave freely until one day I decided it was enough.

Walking home from a night class late one weekday, a homeless person asked me for change. Not having any I offered up some peanut butter crackers that I had taken as a snack. The homeless man took the crackers then looked at me and rolled his eyes before walking away. Not a ‘thank you,’ not an appreciative nod, nothing.

It was the last straw.

Since then, I’ve decided that my change stays in my pocket.

I’d perfected the denials while walking down the street past the same group of people every day on my way to class: “Sorry boss, not today,” “nope, all out,” “maybe tomorrow.”

I’ve seen all the signs and heard all the stories. From the guy who needed gas money to get back home to the various renditions of the “I just need a beer” plea, none of them affect me anymore.

Soon the same people I saw everyday just stopped bothering me. They knew it wasn’t worth it.

While this may seem coldhearted and even cheap, I’m all right with that-whatever helps me get to class without having to be asked for change by half a dozen homeless guys, which I’ve affectionately named “the gauntlet.”

To make up for my lack of support to the VCU area homeless and in need of a way to spend my new found wealth in pocket change, I’ve decided to help the homeless in other ways. Whenever the holidays come around and the Salvation Army bell is clanging, I’ll throw in ten dollars. When there’s a canned food drive, I’ll spring for the extra chunky soup and hope it gives some poor soul a hot meal on a cold day.

DON’T PUSH OUT THE HOMELESS

by Sara Kyle

Last year, Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder announced that he wanted the homeless out of the city’s libraries. A March 8, 2006 Style Weekly article quoted Wilder calling the city’s libraries “flophouses” for the city’s homeless. “The worst thing you can do is tolerate a flophouse,” he said.

To execute his plan, Wilder suggested to move bus routes away from the state library and other public buildings, so that the traffic could move through there and to get rid of “all those people lying around outside the Library of Virginia.”

Wilder is not alone in his efforts. VCU is making efforts to rid its campus of the homeless also.

Officials of VCU pressured the city to privatize Monroe Park, according to an article in the April 5, 2006 edition of The NewStandard. The NewStandard is a non-profit online newspaper managed by a collective of journalists (http://newstandardnews.net).

“The university has developed its own strategic plan to ‘address (the) need for more green space’ for its students.”

Sprinklers were placed in the newly-cleaned Monroe Park, to ward off any visitors who choose to use Monroe Park as their nightly resting place.

Should Richmond be so cavalier in moving out the homeless? Do the homeless have a right to sleep in Monroe Park or on the streets and beg for food?

I say “yes.” Those who have nothing should be allowed to fend for themselves in the public spaces of a city in any way they can.

If they are not bothering anyone, why does it matter if they sleep on the library steps, a street corner or a park bench? The city is giving out a “we don’t care about you” attitude, and the homeless people should stick it to them.

No one tells me I can’t sit in the park and read, so why should they push out the homeless? I’m not bothering anyone, and neither are they.

Let it be.

If the city won’t help, it is up to private organizations, local residents and even VCU students to help.

Walking past the homeless every day, students should feel the need to help out those less fortunate.

Students typically do not have money to give to the homeless or fear they use the money for something unhelpful and useless, like alcohol or cigarettes.

While that may be true, students can donate their time or money to private organizations that help the homeless, such as the Central Virginia Food Bank, Freedom House, the Daily Planet, Congregations Around Richmond Involved to Assure Shelter (CARITAS) and others. There are numerous food drives to participate in also.

Some clubs and organizations at VCU already help collect food, and some give out blankets.

Helping homeless people can foster a sense of charity and community in students. More organizations within the university need to get involved. The homeless would love to see young, caring faces and kind eyes.

What are you waiting for? Reach out and lend a hand.