Father Nathan Monk's Jesus Inspired Homeless People Help

I saw that which you see here this morning on Facebook, via Big Ed, who shared this message from Father Nathan Monk.

Last month I blogged about a panhandling homeless person and me Feeling Guilty When Anything Helps While Having Nothing To Give. Since I made mention of this panhandling homeless person I have seen him every time I drive by his regular location at the entry to the Target shopping center off Eastchase Parkway.

Last month, due to a federal mandate to do so annually, towns across America conducted a census of the homeless people living on the streets in their towns.

Many of the homeless people are veterans of one of America's ubiquitous wars, finding themselves abandoned and in dire straits, their situation ignored by the majority of Americans, who celebrate Veterans Day every year with a lot of ironic, pseudo patriotic hoopla.

While dozens of America's veterans commit suicide every day.

Below is what Father Nathan Monk had to say about opening doors to the homeless....

Earlier this week, I suggested that churches should open their doors to the homeless. I was lambasted by both the laity and clergy that this idea would be completely unreasonable. 

The main talking point that was thrown around is that I don't understand the purpose of the church. However, James said that, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God means caring for orphans and widows in their distress." As I began to argue these points, bizarre responses rose to the surface. 

The first was that people questioned how churches could afford to do this. How is it possible that you can believe that God provided a way for Noah to build an ark, sent birds to feed prophets, walls came falling down at the sound of a trumpet, a virgin gave birth to God, food was multiplied, coins were found in a fish's mouth to provide for the apostles, and the list is never ending...but you don't think that if you provided shelter for the homeless that this same God would make a way for you to do it? 

The next reason that I was given for why churches can't take in the homeless was that they might destroy the church building. I was always taught that the church was supposed to represent Christ on Earth. Jesus allowed himself to be stripped naked, beaten, whipped to the point of death, and crucified. You want to complain about a hypothetical destruction of a building that is supposed to represent a man who freely allowed himself to be destroyed? 

Finally, I was told that my ideas were liberal and socialist. That the purpose of the church and following Jesus was simply to worship him. That both the government and charities supply homeless shelters and the poor can go there. 

But Jesus said that how we treat those is exactly how we would have treated him. He even told us what he would say to those types of people, "Depart from me, because when I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." 

I am not certain what I believe anymore about faith or religion, but I do know what the Bible says. If you don't want to be like Christ, just stop calling yourself the Christian.

____________________

Well.

A lot of people seems to think they know Jesus, seem to think they follow the alleged teachings of Jesus, as written by man long after Jesus was killed. A lot of those same people are right wing nuts who think a socialist minded Jew could not possibly become the American president.

The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone has hundreds of churches, with some of those churches being enormous complexes, one or two even have their own airports.

I know many of the D/FW churches help with the homeless people problem, via donations of various sorts made to the various homeless shelters.

But what if a lot of the D/FW churches did what Father Nathan Monk suggests, and find room in their church facilities for a few homeless people?

You know that is what Jesus would do if he were currently a Texan.....

Volunteers Feed Fort Worth Stock Show's Homeless Day Laborers

I saw that which you see here this morning on Facebook.

Apparently the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is employing Fort Worth homeless people as day laborers.

And, according to the Facebooker's comment at the top, we can intuit those homeless day laborers have been provided 6,000 sack lunches from Fort Worth churches.

As you can see, the source for the photo and the caption below the photo is the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

I tried to find the Fort Worth Star-Telegram article about the Stock Show's homeless day laborers, to no avail.

How much are the homeless day laborers being paid, I can not help but wonder? Are they being paid in free lunches?

How do the Fort Worth homeless people get transported to the Fort Worth Stock Show? Do buses arrive each morning in the Fort Worth Homeless District, on the opposite side of downtown Fort Worth from the Fort Worth Cultural District, where the Stock Show is located, to take the homeless people to the Stock Show?

How many homeless people are being day laborers at the Stock Show? And what labor are they laboring at during the day?

Who decides who gets hired for the day? Is it first on the bus gets the job for the day?

I remember a shocking experience I experienced soon upon my arrival in Texas. I was checking out the Water Gardens in downtown Fort Worth. At that point in time the elevated I-30 freeway still hovered over Lancaster and the south end of downtown. When I drove away from the Water Gardens, in my white van, I saw a statue like thing, looking all neglected.

I was curious about the neglected statue, and so I stopped to check it out. I had barely exited the van when I saw that dozens of men were running towards me. This made me a bit nervous. And then suddenly they stopped and went back from whence they came, that being under the elevated freeway.

I was later to learn that these were day laborers, desperately hoping to get work for the day, who thought I was driving a van looking for someone to work for me, and then realized I was just a tourist. I had never experienced such a thing before and at that point in time I had no idea such a thing existed in America.

Anyway, I wonder if a similar scene occurs each morning in Fort Worth's Homeless District when buses arrive to haul day laborers to the Stock Show?

By the way, that neglected statue I was checking out was a monument to Al Hayne and Fort Worth's Spring Palace. The neglected monument has since been restored to its original glory and now is surrounded by a park-like setting befitting its historical significance.

The Fort Worth Transit Authority Needs To Restore Its Fare Aid Free Bus Pass Program

No, that is not a picture of current bus riding conditions on a Fort Worth T bus. I suspect this picture was taken during last winter's snow event.

Those who forecast the weather for this part of the planet have backed off a bit on the chance of ice or snow making us even more miserably cold this coming Sunday.

I am using a Fort Wort T bus image for non-weather reasons. As in something else is bugging me.

Last month I learned that the Fort Worth Transit Authority was stopping its free pass program which gave free bus passes via a grant program called Fare Aid.

Fare Aid was designed to aid the transportation needs of those who lacked the means to buy a bus ticket. Such as Homeless People, some of whom actually have jobs requiring some form of transit to get to the job which does not pay enough to allow the person the ability to afford a place to live other than a Homeless Shelter in Fort Worth's Homeless People District.

What is going on lately with the demonizing of Homeless People around the nation, from coast to coast, from Florida to California?

If only this were a nation based on Christian principles.

Principles like "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them To Do Unto You".

And then there is that famous quote from the guy from whom the Christian religions sprang, "What You Do To The Least Among You, You Do Unto Me."

Methinks it would behoove the Fort Worth Transit Authority to re-think its free pass program. It is not like the buses are running anywhere near full capacity, except maybe the downtown to West 7th line, at times. It is not going to increase revenue by ending the free passes. Those who relied on free passes are not suddenly going to be able to afford the $60 or $70 or whatever it is a monthly bus pass costs. Or the $3.50 for a one-day pass.

I would think a town, like Fort Worth, which has so many Homeless People that an area of town is known as the Homeless People District, would be motivated to do anything it could to help these people, such as provide free access to the town's under utilized public transit system.

And isn't it ironic, and just a bit embarrassing, that on the west side of Fort Worth's downtown we have what is known as The Cultural District, while on the east side of Fort Worth's downtown we have what is known as The Homeless People District.

Restore the free bus passes, Fort Worth. It's the Christian thing to do......

Would Jesus Be Arrested For Feeding Homeless People In Fort Lauderdale?

On the left you are looking at Floridian, Arnold Abbott, once again getting fingerprinted after once again getting arrested for committing the horrific crime of feeding food to hungry homeless people starving in Fort Lauderdale.

I do not know if Arnold Abbott is Texas Governor elect, Greg Abbott's father, grandfather or uncle.

I suspect not.

The mayor of Fort Lauderdale apparently is a moron, judging from what he said justifying arresting a 90 year old Good Samaritan for feeding the homeless, that being that "homeless people should have to interact with the government to get food."

If only America were a nation based on Christian beliefs, following the example of Jesus, he being the original Christian, a Son of God who found himself surrounded by hungry people who Jesus then fed by conjuring up loaves of bread, fish and by turning copious amounts of water into wine.

Can you imagine the additional trouble Arnold Abbott would be in if he also served wine with his dinners?

Arnold Abbott and his Sanctuary Church began delivering hundreds of homeless people meals a week, in the Fort Lauderdale zone, starting back in 1990. And then his cruel, heartless, clueless town passed an ordinance making feeding the homeless illegal.

Has Fort Lauderdale also passed an ordinance banning binge beach drinking during Spring Break?

Does Fort Lauderdale not realize how badly they are embarrassing themselves in the eyes of the world?

Arresting a 90 year old good deed doer for feeding homeless people.

Only in America......

Tandy Hill Hiking With Europeans Thinking Of Moving To The Tandy Campground

In the picture you are looking south, across the Tandy Escarpment, over which currently dry Tandy Falls falls into Lake Tandy when a sufficient amount of precipitation precipitates to cause the Tandy River to flow with enough water to fall over the precipice.

Currently the Tandy Hills are in dry mode, even though some rain did fall on this part of the planet in the past week.

Even though the temperature had not risen above the 50 degree mark and even though a strong wind blew, when I hiked the Tandy Hills today I did not get chilly.

I also did not get hot.

Which means today was a perfect hill hiking day in North Texas.

There was a vehicle parked at the summit of Mount Tandy when I arrived today. That does not happen too often.

I was about halfway down Mount Tandy when I came upon the hiker who belonged to the vehicle. A lady in rather good shape who spoke with a very strong European accent, of which flavor I could not tell, for sure. But I don't think she was a German because my usual visceral, anti-German revulsion did not kick in.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I came upon what looked to me to be a campsite on the west side of the View Street Trail.

When I saw this campsite, previously, I think the resident was in residence, so, I quickly scrambled out of there.

Today I came upon the Tandy campsite again. Today I got much closer. The camp appeared to be abandoned. The resident left behind some items, including a pair of Levis hanging from a branch.

A couple times I have come upon what appeared to be a possible homeless person camp on the Tandy Hills.

The Fort Worth homeless shelter zone is not too far to the west of the Tandy Hills.

Whatever became of the big homeless campsite that was removed prior to the Super Bowl when the Super Bowl came to D/FW a couple years ago? Did that homeless campsite later sprout up again in the same location? Or elsewhere?

I wish more effort were put into providing decent quarters for homeless people, with a lot of help given to transitioning the homeless person back in to having a place to live.

Fort Worth's Shanty Town Has Vanished While The World's Biggest Outhouse Graveyard Is Still Prominently On Display

Last week I learned of, and blogged about, Fort Worth's Shanty Town of Homeless People.

The Fort Worth Shanty Town had existed for over two years, becoming a town with about 50 dwellings. The Shanty Town was visible from Interstate 30, that being the freeway that runs from Arlington, with Arlington being where the Super Bowl will be played in a couple weeks, and Fort Worth, where no Super Bowl will likely ever be played.

Even though Fort Worth is the envy of the entire nation.

When I wrote about it, I had not actually seen Fort Worth's Shanty Town with my own eyes. So I asked for directions to it from one of my fellow Eyes on Texas, known as YSD. YSD told me to drive down Bomar Street and before I got to Lancaster and the homeless shelter zone I would see the Fort Worth Shanty Town.

However, on Saturday, all I saw was one tent and some sort of ramshackle structure, where I thought I should be seeing the Shanty Town.

I turned from Lancaster on to Riverside, thinking I'd then see the Shanty Town, but I saw nothing, except what I believe may be the World's Biggest Outhouse Graveyard.

Clearly viewable, from I-30, are 100s of Outhouses, just to the west of where I had expected to find Fort Worth's Shanty Town.

I returned to Bomar Street on Sunday, taking along an extra pair of eyes to look for the elusive Shanty Town.

Still no luck. But I did stop to take some pictures of the Outhouse Graveyard.

Most of the Outhouses are labeled "Texas Toilet.." But one had the special label of "CAN DOO DFW."

Yesterday I told YSD of my inability to locate Fort Worth's Shanty Town. So, YSD took off to check it out and reported back that it was just as I saw on both Saturday and Sunday.

Fort Worth's Shanty Town is gone.

All that remains is one tent and one ramshackle structure. With no Homeless People to be seen.

Now, how did this happen? Last week the local supposed newspaper of record, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, reported that the city code people were taking issue with the Shanty Town. Some of the Homeless People claimed they'd been given 10 days to get out of there.

City officials claimed no evacuation order had been given.

So, where did the Shanty Town and its residents go?

Where is the mother with the baby in a stroller? Where is the pregnant lady?

How was the Shanty Town so quickly de-Hoovervilled?

And does the City of Fort Worth really think a little Shanty Town of tents was more embarrassing than having what must be the World's Largest Graveyard of Outhouses so prominently displayed?

It is all very perplexing.

UPDATE: cd0103 has informed me that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram did have an article regarding the disappearance of Fort Worth's Shanty Town. Apparently I arrived on Saturday after the removal had taken place.

Fort Worth's Shanty Town For Homeless People Under Attack By Fort Worth

I just listened to the most depressing video. Basically the world as we know it will soon come to an end. As in, within the next two years the American economy will collapse, the U.S. dollar will no longer be the world's reserve currency, inflation will be astronomical, food riots will break out.

And Shanty Towns will spring up all over America, as Americans lose their homes. On the depressing video the depressing video maker said Shanty Towns are already springing up, some big, like in Fresno, California, visited by that savior of the downtrodden, Oprah Winfrey.

The depressing video did not mention depressing Fort Worth and its Shanty Town. I knew of Fort Worth's Homeless Person Problem. But I did not know we had a Shanty Town of around 50 tents, until one of Fort Worth's Best Texans, Steve Doeung told me about it.

The Shanty Town is not all that far from my abode. Just a short distance west of the Tandy Hills Natural Area, on the south side of the Trinity River near Riverside Drive and Lancaster Avenue.

The Fort Worth Shanty Town has a mayor, There is a kitchen tent with two camp stoves. Another tent serves as the camp's food storehouse. The residents of Fort Worth's Shanty Town are pretty much a cross section of America; Black, White, Mexican, a mom with a baby in a stroller, some old, some young.

Some of the residents have lived in Fort Worth's Shanty Town since it was first founded, over two years ago.

Despite sending out study groups to other towns to take a look at their Homeless People Programs, in places like Portland, Seattle and Denver, the City of Fort Worth has not come up with any new solutions to the Homeless Problem

Local churches fill the void, delivering supplies to Fort Worth's Shanty Town.

And now, despite Fort Worth's Shanty Town not really creating any real problems. And despite the fact that Fort Worth's Shanty Town is providing a community where Homeless People can sleep safe at night, the City of Fort Worth apparently has decided the Homeless People must abandon their camp and move elsewhere.

City Code Officers descended upon Fort Worth's Shanty Town and supposedly found many violations.

I can't help but wonder if the veracity of those violations is just as legitimate as what Fort Worth Code Officers found during their Gestapo Raids on Steve Doeung's Carter Avenue home, in ham-handed attempts to stifle Steve Doeung in his successful fight against the City of Fort Worth and Chesapeake Energy.

Supposedly the Fort Worth Shanty Town is on private property with the owner unaware his property has sprouted a town and with the owner telling the Code Officers that the Shanty Town residents did not have his permission to set up camp.

The residents of Fort Worth's Shanty Town believe they have been given 10 days to get out of their Shanty Town. However, Brandon Bennett, he being Fort Worth's Code Compliance Director said no vacate deadline has been issued, but criminal trespass citations could start being issued if the property owner wants the Homeless People off his property.

The whole scenario reminds me of the Grapes of Wrath. The part where the Joad Family finally got to a safe camp, ironically run by the government, with the locals not wanting them there and trying to stage an incident to cause the shut down of the camp.

Methinks that since it seems obvious that Fort Worth's Shanty Town is solving a problem the City of Fort Worth has not addressed, as in, finding a safe place for Homeless People to seek refuge, that rather than working to destroy the Shanty Town, the City of Fort Worth, working with area churches, should find an acceptable piece of land, somewhere, land with running water. Bring in Port-a-Potties. Fort Worth has a big supply of Port-a-Potties in its parks. And bring in a couple big trash bins.

Fort Worth's City Homeless Program Director, Otis Thornton, claims Fort Worth's homeless shelters have room to accommodate the Shanty Town's residents and blames the church groups for causing the Shanty Town to grow by delivering food and supplies.

I really find it hard to believe that all these people would prefer living in tents in a Shanty Town if there were decent facilities available to accommodate them.

And, please, don't let me hear some City of Fort Worth official get all high and mighty about supposed code violations in Fort Worth's Shanty Town, not when more than one Fort Worth City Park lacks running water or restrooms, but has picnic facilities.

I wonder if my favorite Cambodian-American ever thought he would see something like Fort Worth's Shanty Town in the America he envisioned when his family escaped Cambodia to start a new life in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?

That is, the Brave who have a Home....

Biking Fort Worth's Trinity Trail With Homeless People And Water Pumpers

I took a sunset bike ride out of Gateway Park tonight, on to the Trinity Trail. It was quite a bit chillier than the last time I pedaled the Trinity Trail. In the picture above I'm at the end of tonight's bike ride, standing on the dam/bridge that makes Trinity Falls, looking west, under the Beach Street Bridge, across the Trinity River, at the Fort Worth Mixmaster.

Before I saw the sun set I pedaled west about 6 or 7 miles. At one point I was surprised to see big trucks ahead. They left a cloud of obnoxious dust as they cockroached out of sight. And then I came upon part of what the occupants of the trucks were working on. A big new water sucking operation on the Trinity River. The biggest water sucking pipes I've seen yet. That is the pump below.

Practically every day I am annoyed by a billboard admonishing me to save water by getting a water saving toilet. Do all the water wasting toilets in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex "waste" as much water in a year as these water sucking operations "waste" in a day?

I pedaled under the I-35 bridge, across the Trinity, for another half mile or so. I wanted to take a picture, if I could, of the Mercado Juarez Cafe on the north side of the river. I found no vantage point that afforded the opportunity to take a good picture, this was the best I could do, with the Mercado Juarez being the white building, on the left, surrounded by trees. I am currently scheduled to meet a pair of incoming Washingtonians at the Mercado Juarez tomorrow. I had been erroneously informed that this was to take place today.

A short distance past where I took the picture of Mercado Juarez I came to a surprise. The Trinity Trail is being upgraded, with new cement. It does not seem all that long ago that the current trail was opened. A cement trail will be an improvement. I could not figure out how the detour worked, up over the levee, or what? So, I turned around.

When I turned around I saw, hovering above the Trinity River Levee, a mountain of pavement debris. I assume this mountain is made up of the old, now replaced Trinity Trail. What is it with making these type piles here? The mountain of litter where the Gateway Park trail joins the Trinity Trail is still in place, weeks after being built.

I thought I was done with this blogging. I forgot to mention tonight's homeless people. There was a group of 6 or 7 under the Riverside Drive Bridge. This was a co-ed group. They seemed quite settled in, with blankets and sleeping bags. They will need the blankets tonight.

So will I.

Sunset At River Legacy Park With Armadillos, Flat Tires & No Homeless People

I am back from my sunset bike ride at River Legacy Park.

I saw some remnants of the flood, mostly some dried mud on the pavement, but other than that, and the closed mountain bike trail, River Legacy Park is back up and running.

With an awful lot of people back up and running and blading and biking and walking.

The soccer field, that a week ago was under several feet of water, tonight had dozens of feet on top of it playing soccer.

I have never seen so many bikes on the River Legacy paved trail. It felt congested at times.

I liked it.

Unlike the Trinity Trails in Fort Worth, tonight I saw no apparent homeless people on the River Legacy Trails.

I was not able to get good sunset pictures tonight, not like I was able to while pedaling the Trinity Trails the past couple nights. Why? I am not sure. It might have something to do with way more trees interfering with a direct shot.

I did not see a single firefly. But, I did have an armadillo encounter of the very quick kind, so quick, he or she, was gone before I could get my camera aimed at it. I was glad to see the little guy or girl had survived the flood.

A hapless soul had a flat at about the 6 mile mark. I saw him trying to fix it on my way out. On the way back I passed him walking his bike. So, I slowed to pedal beside the guy and empathize with his pain. I had to walk my bike out from that location once, in 100 plus degree heat. I called for rescue and was met at Collins Street. This guy had it way better, due to it being way cooler. Like barely 90.

There were a surprising number of solo bikers of the fit female persuasion tonight.

I tell you. A small, yet significant, percentage of Texans are getting themselves in shape. Did I mention River Legacy Park is in Arlington, one of the towns at the top of the Men's Health list of towns being way too busy with adult procreative activities? It helps to be in good shape for such things. I think Arlington is aiming to be near the top of the Men's Health upcoming list of the Fittest Towns in America.

I am trying to do my part. Even though I live in Fort Worth. Where it is pretty hopeless to get on any sort of most fit list.

Pedaling At Sunset In Fort Worth Past The Trinity Trail Homeless People

I started pedaling before 7. It really was not as dark as this picture would make you think. In the picture I've just left Gateway Park, crossed the Trinity River on the Dam/Bridge that was flooded, a week ago today, pedaled up to the top of the levee and stopped because the sun was doing some interesting lighting that I thought might make an interesting photo.

Yesterday I came up 5 homeless people walking on the Trinity Trail. Two pairs and one guy solo. I was hoping today to see no homeless people.

Continuing on, in a mile or two I came to a flock of swan-like birds, floating in the Trinity River. I assumed they got the memo from J.D. Granger that the Tarrant Regional Water Board has been working successfully for decades to turn the formerly polluted Trinity River into super clean water, safe to swim and inner tube in.


In the above picture I'm the furthest I made it on tonight's sunset bikeride, to the west side of the I-35 Freeway, a short distance from the Fort Worth Stockyards, which, if I remember right, is a couple more miles of pedaling. That shelter in the foreground is a water oasis.

The above is what I saw when I turned around from the view of the I-35 Freeway and the water oasis, two of the more, uh, interesting, downtown Fort Worth Skyscrapers, peeking up above a line of trees.

Now the homeless person report.

I saw none wandering the Trinity Trails. However, under the Riverside Drive Bridge there was a group of 5 or 6. On my way out, one asked, as I pedaled by, "How's it go'in, man?" I said, "fine."

On the return two of the under the bridge homeless people appeared to be sleeping. None of those still awake howdied me as I passed.

There were a couple females pedaling tonight on the Trinity Trails and one jogging. I would think that group under the bridge might make a girl a bit nervous. I'm not a girl and they made me nervous. The scene had a sort of post-apocalyptic look to it. Blade Runner in Fort Worth.

I'm liking my sunset bike rides. Except for the homeless people part. That and the giant flying things that hit me. Tonight I think I may have been slammed by a bat. Whatever it was, it was big.

The Homeless People Of Fort Worth Vex & Sadden Me

I have seen homeless people, while pedaling the Trinity Trail that takes you from Gateway Park to downtown Fort Worth and beyond, many times.

There was one summer where one homeless person had pretty much taken up residence under the Riverside Drive bridge across the Trinity. I believe Riverside Drive connects to Lancaster Avenue, close to the inadequate facility which tries to helps people with no where else to go. I think you have to leave during the day, and then can come back at night.

But, I don't know for sure. There is not a lot of publicity about how to help the homeless.

So, last night I pedaled into the sunset on the Trinity Trail that I've pedaled many a time, seeing many a homeless person.

But.

Last night's incidents bothered me. The first was a fairly old couple. They were seriously sunburned. Their clothes were a bit ragged. They had a look of fear about them. It startled me. They were very close to the church that sits on the west side of Beach Street, next to the I-30 freeway. There were a lot of people at the church.

A few miles later I came upon a guy looking to be in his late 20s. Very sunburned. He was pacing back and forth. It made me nervous as I approached closer to him. All he had with him was a small gym type bag, sitting on the ground. A soccer game was being played nearby. The only thing I could figure was, after the game is over, he finds shelter somewhere by the field. Darkness was approaching, he was near no roads. Where was he going?

About a mile later I saw a man who appeared to be, maybe, in his 40s, with a girl who appeared to be a mid-teenager. They also were badly sunburned. The man was carrying a water jug. The girl was barefoot.

I turned around shortly after I passed the man and girl. Coming up behind them I saw horrible big, bloody, red sores on the girl's legs.

Where were they heading? They were a long ways from Riverside Drive.

It was such a strange juxtaposition, seeing so many people enjoying frivolous fun at Gateway Park, playing games. Seeing others, like me, having fun riding bikes. And then seeing these Great Depression expressions on sad tortured faces.

It bothered me. But, what could I do? Nothing.

I mentioned what I saw to someone this morning. I opined that there should be someplace that helps people in dire straights. The party I was speaking to said there was. I asked what? The party did not know.

Now, I'm a fairly well-read guy who keeps up on stuff. If I were in dire straights I do not have the slightest clue who I could call for help. It seems to me that such a safety net should be real clear and obvious.

I have read about a wise man who is supposed to have said something like 'That which you do to the least among you, you do to me." Andm "Do to others what'd you'd want done to you." Or something like that.

I know a couple years ago Fort Worth sent a task force to Portland, Seattle and Denver to see how those more progressive towns dealt with their homeless people problem. The task force returned impressed with what they'd seen, realizing Fort Worth had some fixin' to do.

Unless I missed it, I don't think anything has been implemented to replicate the systems the Fort Worth task force saw in Portland, Seattle and Denver.

It seems there are thousands of churches here in the Buckle of the Bible Belt. One would think the churches would feel compelled to cooperate together in some sort of community program to help people get back on their feet.

Yes, I know there is some of that type stuff out there. Help from charities and churches, I mean, but none of it is very well publicized. And there certainly is nothing I know of like what rescued the Joad Family in Grapes of Wrath, driving into a federally run camp that was there to help them get back on their feet.

I am going to go on a sunset bikeride again tonight on the Trinity Trails. I hope I see no homeless people.