Attacking the Results
Policies have consequences
Close your eyes and the monsters disappear. Pull the sheets over your head to hide. This is what many children are told to alleviate unfounded fears. Creating a more palatable reality to avoid the truth is taught from an early age. Create an alternative reality to avoid what is there. Adults use virtual reality headsets to immerse themselves in a world of their choice. The reality of the world disappears from their eyes, at least for the moment. Use alternative facts if the truth of the world makes you uncomfortable. We are using these childish techniques to address real-world problems. It is highlighted in the political realm.
Tearing down and removing homeless encampments is analogous to closing our eyes to the problem. This only removes the manifestations of the problem. The problem remains. Keeping a crisis out of view may soothe the souls of the heartless, but it does nothing to help our society. The pain is felt regardless of the view. The Republican and more conservative methods of hiding the homeless have proven ineffective and inhumane. Solving the crisis of homelessness is less expensive and less popular.
Politicians spend hours debating the manifestation of this crisis and what to do with the people, rather than understanding the causes and contributions. The United States has spent billions of dollars passing and enforcing laws that make the homeless invisible to the privileged. The cost to solve this self-induced crisis is less expensive, but comes with the cost of caring. Do the citizens of the United States care enough to address the issues or just enough to address the symptoms? The culture of creating an enemy has expanded into many regions of the world. You can hear it from the very top of our leadership. Someone must be blamed because we fail to accept responsibility. We must have an enemy. It is this us-against-them mentality that continues this crisis. The harsh truth is “we”, all of us, are to blame. The problem belongs to the populace to solve because the populace either created it or contributes to its continuance.
Politicians have a dilemma. They can choose to spend money providing blinders to the general populace and continue to take measures to make the crisis invisible. Tearing down the homeless encampments, arresting the homeless, and continually moving them from place to place are popular measures. After all, very few people want to meet a homeless person on the street or see them while dining at a fine restaurant. Many citizens will vote for the politician who acts tough, lacks compassion, and provides the people with sheets to cover their heads. The politicians who provide blinders always attract voters’ attention. Politicians can choose to spend money to address the issues that created this crisis. They could remove the sheets and confront what we have created. This is a far less popular approach. Taking responsibility can make people feel uncomfortable. The populace has gained a reputation for voting for people who tell them what they wish to hear. They criticize the politician for addressing the root causes of a problem. Some will take offense and claim they did not create this crisis. The truth is, we the people must take responsibility. That is what the social contract of the United States Constitution is all about. The mission of the Constitution is not to promote the richest among us. It is clearly stated that our mission is to “promote the general Welfare.”
Spending money to enforce the laws is very popular among millions of voters. Spending money helping people and promoting the general welfare is less favorable. In 2025, the United States spends more time and effort on the forced relocation of the homeless than on helping the homeless. From deportation to homelessness, we have spent more than enough to house and feed a nation. We are choosing to move people out of our eyesight. Blinders are always more expensive when addressing problems.