By Dirk Ruff
The word in the news is that the unemployment rate is up and the economy is down. It’s been a chronically hopeless problem for a very long time now. Yet there is a frequent question asked in the streets by some of the more affluent citizens, as they cautiously steer around the impoverished. “Where are all these homeless people coming from?” Are the people asking this reading all of the news, or just the news that interests them personally?
It’s clear that our broken society cannot employ everyone. And we’re having a really difficult time offering charitable care for all of them as well—especially rendering this charitable care in a respectful and dignifying manner. And what about the children of the homeless; do they not deserve a relatively comfortable and enriching childhood. Could it be that our society’s fruitless attempt to provide charitable support within the cities is no longer working as it once worked for mankind? From my experience in the homeless district I know that there is a huge problem with these shelters.
The inner-city charities did perform reverently for many decades, but in today’s congested world, the inner-city solution has become quite obsolete. There’s too many of the homeless out there now to render charitable services with any level of dignity. And yes, personal dignity is important to a person living the shattered indigent life in the streets. This is a right that even the United States Constitution once insured the American people in saying, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” In our world today, the homeless have no opportunity for more than a meager existence that can hardly be referred to as a “life”. And these poor tortured people are Americans!
On the Internet you will find a pilgrim concept in the making; it is a development called Noncity, Arizona! You can Google it up right now. It is about a self-sustaining community independent from the cities, and an excellent alternative to living in the over-crowded, over-legislated cities. From this Noncity concept, and from what I remember of the life that my own grandparents actually lived back in the early 1900s, I find an alternative to the now obsolete inner-city mission concept. It is possible for charities to support this kind of self-sustaining community of farmers, hunters, trappers and fishermen; people who will live off the land and even be able to donate to the inner-city charities that are necessary for those who do need the inner-city medical clinics.
Within the last century, poor farmers like my grandparents have been trampled by the overpowering super-farms and were forced to take up residence within harsh cities. Similarly, the large superstores like Walmart, K-Mart, Home Depot, Ace Hardware and even dollar-stores have literally crushed the smaller “mom-n-pop” operations and small businesses without remorse.
We could loosely divide people into two categories: those who enjoy living in the cities and those who would rather live the country life, away from the stress and concern of the city. The first settlers of America were pilgrims who only wanted a simpler life of freedom outside of the cities of Europe and Asia. They endured great hardship to escape schedules and time-clocks and production paced occupations. In decades past, these free minded souls simply wanted freedom to live in the God-given comfort of the great outdoors.
It was this very pilgrim nature that helped to settle this great land of America and inspired our freedom. It was their desire for freedom that blazed trails through the wilderness and cleared out settlements that became our outstanding cities. They were once revered as our noble frontiersmen and statues have been erected to commemorate them. We have even written books and songs to honor them. We remember them with street names and business ventures as well. So, where do you think the descendents of the noble frontiersmen are today, since there are no more open frontiers or wilderness trails to forge? Did they cease to exist or have they disappeared in some other alternate dimension?
I’m afraid that’s too simple a notion to even entertain. What we have done for the descendants of the frontiersmen and for those who would rather live out in the country is clearly appalling! Look again in the city streets, especially around Denver’s main library and the Sixteenth Street Mall, you will see them playing guitars and flutes (and some are very talented) hoping for a handout. You will see them wearing their belongings on their backs and pushing their baby carriages as they wander about with nowhere to go. Some have really tried to make their way living in the city to no avail. Some have given up and want nothing more than a meal, shelter and then something to ease the pain and sooth their aching souls. Many of them believed in an American dream, a dream that was once available for all who wanted to work. But there is no work for them now!
There are plenty of frontiers out there, lands that could be available for homesteading, allowing for comfortable and dignified communities. There are problems in this solution, but there are also solutions that can be equitable and harmless to everyone involved. One question is how to govern the population. The prime example of this supervision can be found in the programs of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM), inspired by the City World Mission Association (CWMA); a mission concept began by David Nasmith of Glasgow Scotland in 1826. Missions such as these have successfully operated within even the major cities of the world, guided by spiritual truth. Now that the homeless problem has far exceeded the outdated inner-city model’s capacity and ability to effectively provide quality aid to the homeless, the same administrative techniques can be simply applied to the rural operations that are outlined here.
Is the way that we live in today’s modern world the way that we all really want to continue to live in the future of America? I personally hope that it isn’t. •
Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 10:40AM ;)