Re: [Leica] Re: calling on the LUG to do a good deed: leica scholarship

[Adam Bridge <abridge@idea-processing.com>]

On 4/28/02 Allan Wafkowski  wrote:

>Oh geez, I wasn't suggesting that at all. I suspect they place their 
>terminals far, far away from poor people so the depraved skunks can't 
>ride the buses. Greyhound normally locates its bus terminals in wealthy 
>neighborhoods to aid the modern business traveller shuttle to and from 
>major cities.
>
>Allan

And what planet is THIS on? I've not noticed Grayhound siting its terminals in
grand and glorious areas. To the contrary - they are usually in quite gritty
locations inside cities - part of the reason that modern business travellers
avoid Grayhound like the plague.

Allan also observed that B.D. must be "living in a dream" when he observed that
most Americans live reasonably well. I keep wondering about this because it is
essentially correct.

Now I freely admit that my home is in an elite island (Davis, CA) of relative
wealth, education and privilege. There are homeless who live here. There's a
thriving underground culture (typical of what surrounds any major university).
And the population is quite diverse. There are 65 different languages listed as
"primary languages spoken in the home" as surveyed by our public school system.

But even from here I can see desperately poor people by driving into Sacramento
or Oakland or outlying areas around the Bay. Or even just out into the country.

But the fact remains that the vast majority of Americans have a standard of
living that's a beacon for people around the world who want to share it. I heard
someone from the Middle East on the radio say: "I want to live where even the
poor are fat."

There ARE homeless. One can argue about why. Many are in serious need of mental
health care which our society seems unable to address. In the Bay Area many
members of the middle class, with one bad break, can find themselves without the
resources to pay rent - it's that expensive. Ask someone what rents run in San
Francisco or down the peninsula. I'm always stunned. And there are those with
serious substance abuse problems. Many prefer to be homeless rather than use the
city-provided shelters because the streets are safer than the shelters - and
less restrictive.

I would assert that BD is not "living a dream" but stating a fact. American
culture is diverse. It's relatively mobile.

I often cross the country by automobile and recommend the experience to anyone
who wants to experience our culture. A day spent driving across Nebraska is
revealing.

Adam Bridge
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