Archive for the 'america' Tag

Homelessness in America

Earlier this month, I had the incredibly humbling experience of attending a presentation by Mark Horvath, creator of invisiblepeople.tv, who has dedicated himself to sharing the stories of homeless people in America.

Like many others, my interaction with homeless people has generally consisted of me walking past them on the streets of supposedly thriving cities like Seattle and Portland. What’s more, most of us have adopted a negative stereotype towards the homeless, having dealt with relentless beggars, witnessed drug addicts, and read stories about people who make thousands by begging at highway onramps.

Mark turns that stereotype around by sharing just a few stories. In actuality, it turns out that the vast majority of the homeless are honest everyday people (many are children) who are trying to get out of difficult circumstances. Below are a couple videos he shared — hopefully they’ll be enlightening for you too.

If you’re like me, after watching these videos, you’ll be left wondering how you might help. I know of a couple options: If you want to help raise awareness, you can support Mark’s InvisiblePeopleTV RoadTrip, through which he’ll be sharing stories from across America over the next month. If you want to take a more direct approach, check out Change.org’s list of non-profits that are working for this cause.

Questions, comments, reactions, criticisms? Leave them all in the comments below.

June 30, 2009 | no comments | tags: , ,

This is our moment.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes we can.

―President-elect Barack Obama, November 4, 2008

November 4, 2008 | no comments | tags: , , ,