I am also an atheist, but I think what Rev. Lang has done for the homeless is AWESOME! As well as the weekly soup kitchen, he also houses a night shelter for homeless people in the gym of his church. It's not a drop in shelter, but one for the homeless really trying to make a change in their lives. It's set up by SHARE, self-managed by its residents and there are strict rules (no drugs, alcohol, etc.) or they will face eviction. Amongst other things, he is encouraging them to have bank accounts and save a certain amount each week and sees his shelter very much as a transitional step between the streets and permanent housing/jobs, etc.

Actions speak louder than blog comments, Suthii. And on this page, I can only see one picture of an action...it happens to be Mr. Lang.

Wow, reading through this - Suthii disagrees with the supposed majority so we call for a ban on Suthii and try and quash the dissenting view? My time/space, liberal/conservative continuum just fell apart...

"Suthii, you would like to volunteer at Trinity’s Saturday Soup kitchen"

Is it organic? I only eat organic. Do you have a good Marseille-style bouillabaisse?

*cough*ban*cough*

Please don't feed the troll, folks.

"It’s not the homeless who are acting like a reactionary jerk "

Really? Go downtown to 3rd Ave and listen to some of the screamers, wife/girlfriend beaters, hustlers, pimps, dopers and degenerates down there. Express any opinion to these upstanding citizens and you're likely to wind up dead.

So that leaves me with the web and the voting both to express my opinion and we just voted the bums off the island.

Wait...what? That don't make no sense.

It's not the homeless who are acting like a reactionary jerk on the internets, then hyperventilating when the favor is returned.

That's you, Suthii.

"if you can’t take it, stop dishing it."

Wow, we should print that up on t-shirts and make the homeless wear them!

Oh wait, how would they pay for their booze?

No, but you were the one hyperventilating over it. Want me to get you a fainting couch and some pearls to clutch?

Like my mom used to tell me, if you can't take it, stop dishing it.

"Talk about hyperventilating."

That's rich, Poverty, I wasn't the one who told someone else to “keep your mouth shut ”.

"Yes, god forbid should anyone have a different opinion, that has to be stopped asap, this is America after all."

Talk about hyperventilating.

Thanks for the invite Ace but I'm not superstitious and sleep in Sundays.

If, however, you throw an event that invites us, the under-appreciated, long suffering tax payer over to give us thanks, I'll be there in a jiffy.

Suthii: I would welcome you to Rich Lang's church in Ballard this Sunday. He is a warm and compassionate pastor. I take from him each Sunday the vision to see the world better and to see ALL people as people. Each and every individual in this world - regardless of economic status, drug problems, homelessness, mental illness - ARE people. Different hurdles in life, perhaps wrong turns and poor decisions, abusive relationship, addictions. It really doesn't matter. Perhaps, Suthii, you would like to volunteer at Trinity's Saturday Soup kitchen. Have lunch with some of the individuals that come in and need a warm meal. Hear their stories. Find out what their situation is. Perhaps you'll see each individual as just that, an individual. And I pray that life continues to treat you 'well' and that you never face any economic hardships. But if it doesn't, know that their advocates that will support you & fight for your human rights, because afterall you are human.

13 (now 14) responses to this post, 7 of which came from Suthii. Irrespective of the actual content of his (her?) comments, I'd say he's pretty definitively established himself as a troll.

"keep your mouth shut "

Yes, god forbid should anyone have a different opinion, that has to be stopped asap, this is America after all.

" get them jobs"

You think these folks want to work for a living? 90% of them couldn't hold a job down a full time for a week before they started whining about their 'dignity' over the chip fry. Then the paycheck would go up their noses and we'd all be back at square one. If you want to be made a fool of, go ahead be my guest, just don't ask me to pay for your so-called compassion.

"You DO have compassion for those that need the least amount of help. "

No, I have compassion for folks willing to make the effort to work hard and play by the rules . They don't need the 'least amount of help', they simply won't waste the help offered them. Maybe Seattle bums should look at all the hard working illegals in this town, they at least are contributing to society.

"hyperventilating accusation"? Please, dont flatter yourself. Really, the homeless "make life hell" for you? Maybe you should have bought a cheaper condo?

"I have compassion for those who treat themselves with dignity, get up every morning and go out and try to better themselves. " Ahh, thats so wonderful of you. You DO have compassion for those that need the least amount of help. What point are your trying to make here and how exactly do you vet your distinction between the bums and go-getters?

"You could give every street person in Seattle government paid drug treatment, a home and a full time job and I guarantee you in 6 months 90% would be back on the streets." Yeah, beacuse socialism is the obvious goal of Real Change here. Really even for you that is low hanging fruit.

Lets indulge Suthii's Plan to End Homlessness (but only for those deemed worthy) for a second. How about we do exactly that for 2% of King Counties homeless? Are you and Nickels going to stand at the door and judge those worthy enough?

I struggle to believe that even some of the known whackos at Real Change coughTimcough have any delusions on just what can and cant be done.

In my opinion the message here is that displacing the homeless and destroying what little stability they have is not going to turn anything to improve thier dignity and get them jobs.

So go ahead and cross the street, just do us all (or maybe just me) a favor and keep your mouth shut when you cross.

"Its a problem for everyone"

Not if you just cross the street.

" But do something rather than writing off all your fellow human beings and those that demonstrate thier concerns."

I love the hyperventilating accusation that I'm writing off 'all' people, not just those who drain our taxes, mooch, and generally make life hell for those who have to be taxed to support their lifestyles. What's next, call me a fascist?

I have compassion for those who treat themselves with dignity, get up every morning and go out and try to better themselves. Folks who expect me to do that for them - bums, druggies, thieves - don't get my compassion. You could give every street person in Seattle government paid drug treatment, a home and a full time job and I guarantee you in 6 months 90% would be back on the streets. That's not compassion, that's fooling yourself about the true nature of humanity.

What else would you like me to do? I certainly vote against these kinds of enabling policies. Nickels gets my support on this and I'll email him and thank him if you like? Maybe I'll ask him to come clean up our little square in central Ballard that the kids can't use now because of all the bums and crazies.

"Why, because I believe most of these so-called homeless ‘advocates’ are merely enablers?"

No, because every post you put here is needlessly negative and overblown. Theres a difference between being a curmudgeon and a a-hole.

Homelessness is a endlessly complex problem. Its a problem for everyone, and as a card carrying member of society and the human race a little compassion goes along way. Im not saying run out and donate all your money or take a day off of work to participate in some protest. But do something rather than writing off all your fellow human beings and those that demonstrate thier concerns.

Can we just lease buses to send them to Vegas? I don't believe they should be the most protected class of society as they usually are treated. Any professional who rides the buses downtown knows they make themselves impossible to ignore. A large percentage of them live this way by choice regardless of what we want to believe.


http://www.amazon.com/Sidewalk-Mitchell-Duneier...

While I applaud the sentiment, it is undeniably true that there are different people that are homeless for different reasons (legitimate poor/unlucky, freewheeling hobos, drunks/crackheads, the mentally ill, etc.) and until we start treating them differently we are aiming at a constantly moving target

"pile of trolling garbage "

Why, because I believe most of these so-called homeless 'advocates' are merely enablers?

Downtown Seattle doesn't have an homeless problem, it has a bum problem.

Wow. Just when I think that you cant be a bigger pile of trolling garbage Suthii. Way to lower the bar.

Myth or not, trying being decent for a change.

I'm an atheist, why would I trust anyone who believes in superstitions?

Maybe if he taught the homeless the powers of drug and alcohol self-restraint and personal responsibility, he might actually help them? Then no one would need to rely on myths to self-medicate themselves.

@suthii: i can think of many nuttier ways to complete this sentence than "on the side of the poor." is this really a quote to quibble with? i say amen to lang for trying to lend a voice to the invisible and ignored.

“I am convinced that God is ...."

Calling on all religious nuts: fill in the blank.