The Pressure of Peril

With the recent stock market crash, everyone's focus has been on the economy and the peril of who lost how many points a day. But the lack of focus on how it effects those already in peril has been lost in the panic. In Chicago, a major problem is the amount of homeless people. Their lives are difficult, especially with winter on it's way. A Chicago Sun Times article delves into the ripple effects of " A sinking economy and soaring energy costs" and how it effects those who are already in peril.

On October 5th, the Epworth United Methodist Church evicted it's homeless shelter with 65 beds for the homeless. However, what's interesting about the article is that it is not blaming the government, in fact, it explains that we have enough money to sponser shelters. It is the neighborhoods that are closeminded to helping the homeless. During times of peril, people cannot turn against eachother like the Salem Witch Trials or the Red Scare, people need to work together. Though the trend of excess government power is apparant in such times as the Red Scare and Salem Witch Trials, had the people as a nation or town stayed together and not let fear take over, things could have been different. The issue with the homeless is that there aren't enough neighborhoods that will open a shelter. The article further explains that contrary to popular belief, shutting down a shelter does not lessen homelessness, it only enhances it.

Homeless people are stereotyped as all being drug crazed men and women you should ignore on the street, and although in some cases this is true, it's not all true. With the economy in the state it is, more people are losing jobs, and therefore, their houses as well. We need to look at F.D.R.'s example during the Great Depression and help those who dont have enough food or are without shelter, or else we could delve into a similar atmosphere as the Great Depression. The article ends on a note of helpfullness giving examples of how to help, and since we all live near Chicago and go there fairly often, it is a relevant issue to us.