You held out your hand and said you needed helping. They gave you a pathetic look and
The acrid rain came down and it soaked up into your shoes. You thought you had
pneumonia, but it was the homeless blues.
You had not voted when you had a home. You had not voted when you had a job. You
did not vote when domestic violence was not a problem. You did not vote when the house
was not on fire. And surely you did not vote when you were out of your head on drugs
and alcohol. Would you be concerned, and would anything have been different if you had
been a registered voter, and had voted? When you heard someone say, "it can happen to
any one of use," would you have thought that they could have been talking about your
For a multitude of reasons, both legitimate and illegitimate, any one of us can again
become homeless. With that concern in mind, the issues and positions of the homeless
should be more immediate in the need for your attention. That concern should dictate that
you not take for granted the duties of a citizen, and not have to rely on the kindness of
strangers, nor be dependent on those who perhaps did vote.
To vote is to use the greatest weapon a citizen has at his disposal in a democracy. To vote
is to fight that corner of apathy in our communities, our institutions, in our homes and in
To register to vote, and vote, by homeless people is a tool that was not always afforded
the indigent, and some of the harsh realities of needing certain kinds of assistance is
profoundly significant, in that you are in the eye of the storm at the moment, you can see
with clarity the needs. And in the aftermath of the storm you will have a perspective of the
legislation and the legislators who understand your plight now, and the same concerns of
those who may need services after you. The homeless need to align
...