Guest Post by
I’ve covered the plight of the homeless in America in recent years as another manifestation of the erosion of decency, empathy, morality and kindness throughout much of our culture. As a society, we’ve become increasingly obsessed with youth, materialism, power and short-termism, tossing aside wisdom, real joy, soulfulness and connectivity. One of the symptoms of this unfortunate transformation can been seen in how we treat the least fortunate and most vulnerable around us, particularly the homeless (see: In 33 U.S. Cities, Feeding the Homeless Has Been Criminalized).
Of all the institutions you’d hope to take a different stance toward the weak and struggling, places of worship would be at the top of the list. Not so for Saint Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco, which admittedly sprays sleeping homeless people with water in order to keep them away.
From CBS:
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — KCBS has learned that Saint Mary’s Cathedral, the principal church of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, has installed a watering system to keep the homeless from sleeping in the cathedral’s doorways.
The cathedral, at Geary and Gough, is the home church of the Archbishop. There are four tall side doors, with sheltered alcoves, that attract homeless people at night.
The shower ran for about 75 seconds, every 30 to 60 minutes while we were there, starting before sunset, simultaneously in all four doorways. KCBS witnessed it soak homeless people, and their belongings.
The water doesn’t really clean the area. There are syringes, cigarette butts, soggy clothing and cardboard. There is no drainage system. The water pools on the steps and sidewalks.
A neighbor who witnessed the drenching told KCBS, “I was just shocked, one because it’s inhumane to treat people that way. The second thing is that we are in this terrible drought.
Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homeless said, “It’s very shocking, and very inhumane. There’s not really another way to describe it. Certainly not formed on the basis of Catholic teachings.”
A cathedral staff member confirmed to KCBS the system was installed, perhaps a year ago, to deter the homeless from sleeping there.
KCBS has also learned from a review of city permit records that the system was installed illegally, and may violate water use regulations.
Drought or no drought, when it comes to spraying the homeless, there seems to be plenty of water available.
Speechless.
For related articles, see:
Caught on Video – LAPD Guns Down Homeless Man in Broad Daylight
90-Year-Old WW2 Veteran and Two Clergymen Face 60 Days in Jail for Feeding the Homeless in Florida
In 33 U.S. Cities, Feeding the Homeless Has Been Criminalized
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
How anyone can publicly admit they are catholic is beyond my comprehension.
They installed the sprinkler system because priests don’t like sucking dirty dicks.
A few years ago I visited a facility for the homeless in San Diego that made more sense to me than anything else I have heard of before or since. As I recall, it was sponsored by an Episcopal church.
It was set up as a “club,” and membership registration was required. This enabled the member to access the facility for restroom use, to take a shower, to get one meal a day, and to even have a post office box. Sleeping arrangements had to be made elsewhere (like doorways of churches), and being a member did not entitle anyone to hang around all day. To me it seemed like a sensible way to resolve basic sanitation and food issues without making homelessness an attactive way of life. I have often wondered if that place has survived the intensification of the homeless problem and the increase of every kind of government regulation that could potentially bankrupt such a facility.
There is a visible increase in the homeless population in my city as I guess there is everywhere. In our urbanized culture, homeless enclaves like the Hoovervilles of the Great Depression would be subject to swift police action. This is a problem with no happy solution.
There was a white guy in hot pants and a small tee shirt roller blading in circles on the dock. I recall SAH’s image of a roast beef sandwich left out too long, he looked like a chicken breast left under the heat lamp too long, his skin a golden brown, very thin with barely discernible spiderweb wrinkles. This white dude of 45 or 50 had no plans, purpose or place to go to in the near future. San Diego is a nice place to be if you have that situation.
This church should have its tax-exempt status revolked since it obviously doesn’t qualify as what we call a “church”.