Robert L. Terrell Blog

An op-ed piece by Bob Herbert in a recent issue of the New York Times moved me to make the following observations about the racial dynamic in this nation, and the manner in which it is influencing dialogue pertinent to the current presidential campaign. Herbert refers to the issue at hand as “the dog that won’t bite.”  The so-called “dog” in question is the contingent of white Americans who say they will not vote for Barack Obama because of his color—even if this means they end of voting for someone hostile to their best economic interests. 

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The Homeless Court, which San Francisco’s municipal officials have recently  been touting as an important, new component in their effort to eliminate chronic homelessness, provides an excellent focal point for discussing overall civic philosophy regarding endemic social problems.

The Homeless Court will primarily address indigents accused of so-called “quality of life crimes.” in the Tenderloin and South of Market sectors of the city.  Taken together, the two neighborhoods contain San Francisco’s largest concentrations of desperately poor people.  As a result, they contain a higher percentage of homeless people, and “quality of life” criminals thanany comparable neighborhoods in the city. 

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I have been patiently waiting since the beginning of the current presidential campaign for the dialogue to focus on homelessness.  Unfortunately, with the passage of each stage of the campaign, it has become abundantly clear to me that unless something untoward occurs homelessness will remain “off the table” with regard to the primary priorities of the major parties, and their otherwise preoccupied candidates.  This is highly unfortunate, and my hope is that some of the responsible participants in the upcoming conventions, journalists included, do whatever is necessary to get homelessness addressed in a responsible manner.

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U.S. television screens are filled these days with images of President Bush making the rounds in Beijing. Given the xenophobic perspectives of those who control the flow of images, every effort is being made to present him in a positive light.  Nonetheless, he appears to be a lost man in search of a real mission.

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