Heartache in The Jungle
2 Rough week.
3 Most are these days.
4 You just have to roll with it.
5 Upsetting news: watching the city plow the homeless people out of their places yesterday.
Here is a link to the story:
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-silicon-valley-homeless-20141204-story.html#page=1
6 I'm aware that warnings were given and all sorts of other things.
7 The city can say "We did all we could," but reality sometimes bites.
8 The reality is that there will always be perfectly good people in that situation, and who have created a world that was brutally invaded yesterday.
9 People got split up, pets lost; children were crying and elderly were staring down terror.
10 Many homeless are mentally ill, many unable to care for themselves.
11 I'm not sure the city did enough before moving them out. The entire thing looks like a statement.
12 I guarantee we have the ability to house people. If there was a flood, we would have schools, churches, parks, etc. gathering together to lend a hand.
13 The government is also prepared to put us all in camps in the event of marshal law. I'd rather not see those facilities in use, since that power is potentially absolute.
14 The city should have taken this to the citizens and asked for advice rather than waiting until neighbors complained that something had to be done.
15 It just looks like they went about it all wrong, and it looks stunningly political.
16 It is upsetting, as I said. I'm not trying to stir emotions or anything, just shaking my head. Why right now in the dead of winter? I have so many questions.
17 I offer no answer. I believe we elected people to deal with these things. It doesn't please me to see our mayor rolling up his sleeves and literally moving people out of what for many has been home.
18 One of the richest areas in the entire country should be bigger than this.
19
20 Sorry.
21 I JUST read the paper.
22 I'm not ready to take any leadership position on this, because I've a ton on my plate right now. But I'm curious as to any suggestions people might have.
23 One thing might be requesting some assistance by some of the billionaires who live around here. Can we create a facility that would house people and generate money at the same time? Can they volunteer at such a facility in exchange for housing?
24 I don't know. I'm not a billionaire.
25 I'm just a school teacher hanging on for dear life these days.
26 Throw some thoughts into the mix. We all need to help in some way. As I said, I'm not trying to begin a cause here, just staring at the newspaper and feeling tons of grief for these folks.
27 That's all I'll say on the matter. Didn't mean to bum you out, but we do sort of own this.
28 Moving On, Part One: I am still working to rule, more now than ever. The lack of a contract is beginning to tear our school apart.
29 Some are acting like everything is fine.
30 I don't. I'm seeing subtle things that may cause permanent rifts among staff, students, parents and community.
31 I've been trying not to judge anyone, because we all respond to things like this differently, and I respect all opinions.
32 One thing I think most everybody agrees on is that we all want it over.
33 My classroom has always been a haven for students, all the way back to my YB days. My door is always open for kids to come in, do homework, chill, talk and laugh.
34 My room now has a sign on the door: Closed for Lunch. My room is locked and I now hang in a break room with colleagues.
35 After school I straighten my room, walk down to the Palm Court which intersects the main office and the attendance office, and walk out at 3:30 with colleagues.
36 I'm trying to keep up with grading and planning, not gonna lie, but only so that I could survive when it is all over. I'm posting things in the grade book on company time.
37 It is impossible to do this and teach for any length of time. THAT is how much volunteer work we put in. I usually spend 12 to 15 hours working on weekends just to keep up normally. I have found that most of us do that.
38 We just want it over. It is extremely stressful.
39 On the good end, I get to cook, play guitar, socialize with family, and enjoy a somewhat normal life, which I'm not really used to as a teacher. We get all that in the summer, but in the midst of the year we pull our weight.
40 That's about it. <hops off soap box and carries it out to the garage>
41 Smile today, despite all. Give a homeless person ten bucks. Start small.
42 I gottago.
43 See you again. Have a GREAT weekend.
44 Peace.
~H~
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