Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Who is the Victim?
The LAPD is cracking down on all kinds of crime on Skid Row lately and that is good. One of the most recent stories is the arrest of shop owners who have been scanning food stamp cards and giving some cash to the holders, and then pocketing the rest.
The card holders then use the money for drugs or alcohol, stuff the cards weren’t designed to supply.
Then they come to the Mission seeking help or a meal, because their money – and government assistance – is gone.
We don’t turn away anyone seeking help, and we won’t unless they present a danger to others who are coming here for assistance. But… If they were using their government support for what it was intended, rather than feeding their addictions, they might more readily face the reality of their situation.
Once that happens, once someone realizes that the temporary fix isn’t fixing anything, then they are more likely to seek the help that will result in turning their life around.
You can’t force someone into successful rehab. But you can narrow their choices so that they seek the help they need.
That’s why drying up the sources and their resources for recreational drugs is important.
--Herb Smith, President
The card holders then use the money for drugs or alcohol, stuff the cards weren’t designed to supply.
Then they come to the Mission seeking help or a meal, because their money – and government assistance – is gone.
We don’t turn away anyone seeking help, and we won’t unless they present a danger to others who are coming here for assistance. But… If they were using their government support for what it was intended, rather than feeding their addictions, they might more readily face the reality of their situation.
Once that happens, once someone realizes that the temporary fix isn’t fixing anything, then they are more likely to seek the help that will result in turning their life around.
You can’t force someone into successful rehab. But you can narrow their choices so that they seek the help they need.
That’s why drying up the sources and their resources for recreational drugs is important.
--Herb Smith, President
