Land of the Free
One of the most popular tourist locations in the US, Atlanta, Georgia has failed it's streets. The photograph above was taken in the midst of what proved to be a brisk winter for the city in 2010. Even worse, this kind of mistreatment is taking place just down the street from a national historic site, The Martin Luther King Center, and historical district.This area, Auburn Ave through Boulevard, is home to a primarily black community. These streets suffer with smells and puddles of urine, panhandlers, trash piles, potholes, vacant lots, and the putrid smell of steaming sewage. It is a wonder how they got this way, as if the United States of America has completely forgotten that this region was on their map.
(Below) This man finds warmth in the toasty winter sun, as he takes a nap on the sidewalk.
If there is anyone to blame, it is first this country. How can a country honestly proceed in it's functions, knowing that it's citizens, the citizens that are that country, are suffering from poverty, sickness, and starvation? If there are homeless citizens, house them, if there are hungry citizens feed them, if there are sick citizens, heal them. These are the laws, and principles this country claims to have been founded on, however, there are so many forgotten souls, who have become victim to the suffering streets of this nation.
The institutions, such as Hope House and The Gateway Center that have been put in place to provide for the homeless population in Atlanta, are repelling, as they do not aid their clients in bettering themselves, or as the saying goes, they aren't teaching them to fish. They provide their "patients" with drugs, which would only make them more dependent on substances, rather than making them self sufficient. Many of the facilities are based out of prisons, which explains why so many people deny, or avoid the help altogether.
The State of Georgia, claims to be taking a very firm approach toward homelessness, by opening up forementioned facilities, providing soup kitchens, handing out blankets, and more forceful street sweeping. While temporary housing, a quick meal, and extra warmth for the brisk streets are all kind gestures, and serve in the battle against homelessness, they remain just as they are, temporary. A temporary solution to any problem, will only weaken any situation, but this is just what the city plans to continue to do. They, however, also feel that if they step up on hotel security, and street police, to make beggars feel unwelcome, it will in some way help the homelessness problem.
Not only are the systems that are being put in place not helping the long term problem, but they are going to become even more forceful in their endeavors, as if these human beings are criminals for being neglected by their country. Not only is the government to blame, but the citizens of America, especially the citizens of Georgia. If you have means to give, to lend a hand, or a home, then by all means give, and it would make this land more united, and more free.
