Home For The Homeless
By Rick Boettger
I met with Rev. Stephen Braddock to discuss the
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Thank you, Rick Boettger, for your thoughtful and accurate analysis of the solution to the problem of homelessness in Key West. Everyone needs to listen to what Steve Braddock says when he speaks about the situation, for as you pointed out, there’s no one there more knowledgeable and certainly more compassionate about the homeless situation in the lower Keys than Fr. Braddock. I agree and have advocated for decades that the homeless who are intoxicated do not belong in jail – in fact no one who is intoxicated belongs in jail – because there simply is too much of a chance that person will die from his intoxication while incarcerated, from aspirating his own vomit or from alcohol poisoning. It has happened before in many jails. Unless an intoxicated person is committing a crime, jail is never the place for him. To take him to a place for the homeless with nursing help at his disposal is a much better solution. I also agree that by having a permanent facility that houses the homeless instead of just a place for them to sleep is by far the more sensible way for the city to go. They will have a place to interact with social workers and other persons interested in helping them and they will not have to loiter around the city all day until a shelter opens for them at night. To me, it is a win/win for the city and those who find themselves homeless for whatever reason. Money spent in this way is far better spent than money spent dragging them through the court system every time they’re thrown into jail.
As William Rivers Pitt said,” Let’s cough up $700 billion for a plane we use to bomb the problems we caused by bombing the problems we caused.”
If we spent a fraction of the money we spend on the military on helping people at home, we could not only house and help the homeless, we could rebuild our dilapidated highways, bridges, schools and our out-of-date vulnerable power grid.
Rev. Braddock is a God send to Key West and we should all pray he stays.
He has the patience of a saint and an uncanny ability to look in your eyes and see your soul. He is unafraid to speak truth to power and follow his heart. That is why some people who think they are in power or have power are so afraid of him. Believe me I know.