Oh, the media does shine lights when it wants - this is evidenced on a daily basis by WHERE the media chooses to rattle its collective sabre: new flavors at Salt N Straw, a new donut at Voodoo, yet another brewery opening in an already saturated beer guzzling cityscape or which British monarch had a baby...
Isn't the institution supposed to be above greed, above pettiness, above the subliminal promotion of class warfare? The answer, sadly, is a resounding no.
Since the local media members presumably live in the area in which they work - shouldn't that mean they care a little more than they currently show? Clearly, the answer here is no, as well. It's all a game, it's all about ratings - about booking air time for this adult beverage purveyor or that local, white business owner.
The world in which I currently reside basically gives free license to a person to walk over another if it means adding one more dollar to their own pocket.
Allow me to clumsily segue to how the local media chooses to disseminate information, what term they use:
Homeless Camping.
This term is the very reason I decided to post on my blog after a 3 year hiatus. Ha - 3 years is a long time to have writers block! This is not to say I was some gifted and prolific writer - posting blogs on a regular basis for a horde of voracious readers/followers. In fact, when I started this blog, I was using it quite incorrectly - more like one would use Twitter.
I digress.
It drives me to Hulk-smash madness every time I hear local media utter the words homeless camping as I count myself as a reasonably calm, measured person.
This ridiculously ill-conceived and condescending phrase does several things and does them well:
1) People in Portland are numb, indifferent and in a lot of cases hostile to the homeless. Can we all agree - homeless people are not camping. Camping, by any reasonable measure or definition is an enjoyable activity. You load up your significant other, family, the dog or yourself in an RV and head out to the great outdoors. You sing camp fire songs, fish, make S'mores, tell stories, swim...rough it. All of these things are great and most importantly, voluntary. There is nothing about being homeless that is fun, inviting or recreational. Let me put it another way - for those of you who wish to quibble over the definition of camping: is there any scenario you could fathom where you would want to change places with a homeless camper? I thought not...and for this reason alone, our local television news stations should hang their collective heads in shame. Oh yeah, you must actually HAVE shame first.
Our local media is much more concerned with being able to attend events where they are showered with praise, being able to walk among the public receiving adulation, request for selfies and autographs. This desire keeps them insulated and hostile to ANY criticism they MIGHT receive. Two local anchors with whom I have exchanged email communication are particularly cowardly and brittle: Ken Boddie and Jenny Hanson. Both work for KOIN 6 and regard any correspondence that isn't kissing their collective ass as "angry" or "harassment". It's too bad - they could be using their platform for more than just regurgitating words on a teleprompter and being the grand marshal of some useless parade.
2) There is a petty tone given off by many of the local broadcasts: the inconvenience homeless people impose on those who are not, themselves, homeless. And it's not just that the news paints homelessness as an annoyance, that would be bad enough.
It's that the newscasters practically invite you to be entitled AND offended by the mere presence of the less fortunate - that it somehow negates any positive experience you could have. OR as a human being, it's ok to forego any sense of decency or civic responsibility to help others. Without that green light, how could you possibly enjoy your happy hour appetizers/half priced spirituous beverages.
3) I have stop counting the number of times I have seen on various newscasts where the city government, in its attempt to address the problem in a tangible way, encounters push back from residents in EVERY area of town. Homeless shelter for women and children in SE? Not I, said the fly. Homeless shelter for women in Gresham? Not I, said the fly. Local media does not pass on the chance to get residents of a particular community on the camera saying NOT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. Never once challenging any of them to come up with an alternative. That would require thought that goes beyond self-interest, beyond gimme, beyond as long as it isn't me...
You name the area, suburb, town, county, municipality, city, region - and I will tell you none wants that "problem" in their communities. Where, I ask, does that leave the most unfortunate among us?
Maybe we are looking for a place to send all homeless and hungry, someplace where we don't have to see or hear them...the moon perhaps? Hyperbole, I know - but given our society's appalling lack of sympathy and empathy, I'd suggest Uranus.
2) There is a petty tone given off by many of the local broadcasts: the inconvenience homeless people impose on those who are not, themselves, homeless. And it's not just that the news paints homelessness as an annoyance, that would be bad enough.
It's that the newscasters practically invite you to be entitled AND offended by the mere presence of the less fortunate - that it somehow negates any positive experience you could have. OR as a human being, it's ok to forego any sense of decency or civic responsibility to help others. Without that green light, how could you possibly enjoy your happy hour appetizers/half priced spirituous beverages.
3) I have stop counting the number of times I have seen on various newscasts where the city government, in its attempt to address the problem in a tangible way, encounters push back from residents in EVERY area of town. Homeless shelter for women and children in SE? Not I, said the fly. Homeless shelter for women in Gresham? Not I, said the fly. Local media does not pass on the chance to get residents of a particular community on the camera saying NOT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. Never once challenging any of them to come up with an alternative. That would require thought that goes beyond self-interest, beyond gimme, beyond as long as it isn't me...
You name the area, suburb, town, county, municipality, city, region - and I will tell you none wants that "problem" in their communities. Where, I ask, does that leave the most unfortunate among us?
Maybe we are looking for a place to send all homeless and hungry, someplace where we don't have to see or hear them...the moon perhaps? Hyperbole, I know - but given our society's appalling lack of sympathy and empathy, I'd suggest Uranus.
Add to this that local city government officials show no immediate urgency. When referencing plans, it's always months or years away from implementation - people need help not now, right now.
The media could and should do far better than it does. It has immeasurable power to mobilize people. It could drive real change. We should hold them to a far higher standard. We don't - all we want are puff pieces about pandas, a zillion pictures of pets doing nothing of any real significance or get names read on air for birthdays and anniversaries. We have stopped caring about anyone but #1 and as a DIRECT result, the local media has followed suit. It has become a horrible but accurate mirror - reflecting intellectual laziness, self-importance and worst of all, an unforgivable indifference to human life.
The media could and should do far better than it does. It has immeasurable power to mobilize people. It could drive real change. We should hold them to a far higher standard. We don't - all we want are puff pieces about pandas, a zillion pictures of pets doing nothing of any real significance or get names read on air for birthdays and anniversaries. We have stopped caring about anyone but #1 and as a DIRECT result, the local media has followed suit. It has become a horrible but accurate mirror - reflecting intellectual laziness, self-importance and worst of all, an unforgivable indifference to human life.
Man, don't let there be a story on the news saying there are 10,000 puppies or kittens that need a home.
You would see mass mobilization of resources gather in no time.
It says a lot.
I wonder...how did we become so cool with allowing people to sleep on the street when we have unused land/zombie homes and vacant buildings.
How do we tolerate ANY family going hungry when, as a nation, we waste $165 BILLION dollars a year in food and beverage.
Unfortunately and quite cynically, we allow this because we can't make money off of those who are poverty stricken.
In closing, let me end by clearing a couple of things up: I am keenly aware nobody likes the media. It's a convenient punching bag. Athletes do it, politicians do it, Hollywood does it - anytime anything goes wrong - it's the medias fault. I get it and I have seen it.
In this particular case though, it's more than justified. Moreover, the media should never stop taking blame for this social and spiritual dilution.
I am also aware there are MANY people/organizations who do fantastic work helping our homeless population - I know and have worked with many of them in my very limited capacity. The post is just in reference to the greater Portland populace, in general...and it's my humble opinion.
Profit for the soul is not the currency we see as valuable.
How do we tolerate ANY family going hungry when, as a nation, we waste $165 BILLION dollars a year in food and beverage.
Unfortunately and quite cynically, we allow this because we can't make money off of those who are poverty stricken.
In closing, let me end by clearing a couple of things up: I am keenly aware nobody likes the media. It's a convenient punching bag. Athletes do it, politicians do it, Hollywood does it - anytime anything goes wrong - it's the medias fault. I get it and I have seen it.
In this particular case though, it's more than justified. Moreover, the media should never stop taking blame for this social and spiritual dilution.
I am also aware there are MANY people/organizations who do fantastic work helping our homeless population - I know and have worked with many of them in my very limited capacity. The post is just in reference to the greater Portland populace, in general...and it's my humble opinion.
