Tent City in Bloomington residential neighborhood disturbing

[Fletch]

Ah but tell that to all the folks who claim that HOAs are the creation of the devil and are only 1 step up from hell on earth.

I don't belong to a HOA so i don't exactly understand, can you please explain your post. I am a little lost....maybe ignorant too haha

I don't belong to one either, but that's because I think they're one step up from hell on earth.

No offense meant to melensdad, of course. I'm just not a fan of HOA's, perhaps precisely because they might prevent me from doing what I thought was right.

 

[chickenman]

Wow!! I can't belive all this guy is doing to help the homeless!! sharing his propety and making sure this people have a place to leave. GREAT!!
Also I can't beleive all of you are so open to this and non of you leave in this town or near this quack. Let forget all of this kids in this neighborhood and the possably of sex offender in this guys back yard and not to mention some of these well balanced "homeless" people may be carrying a gun. I live about two miles from this quack and have had my house and car broken in to and also some of my neighbors houses broken in to as well. I'm sorry homeless is an issue but i feel that a home owner, sharing his back yard to help out. Is real bull **** and he doesn't feel the need to be nice to his neighbors.
Some of you feel this ok, how about i found some of you neighbors and ask them to move in "homeless people" to your neighborhoods. As far as someone moving a person in to your house. I feel that your damm luckly something did't happen.
JUST MY

 

[antsi]

Interesting in this thread to see people throwing their own purported values out the window.

We have some of the same people who were supporting an Absolute Property Right of employers in the HB1065 debate - it's their property, they can do whatever they want - now all the sudden clamoring about the rights of neighbors not to be disturbed by the sight of homeless people.

On the other side, we have liberals who believe it mandatory to confiscate money from "the rich" because they have an absolute obligation to take care of the poor and downtrodden, turn around and say that they were talking of course about other rich people; and specifically not those whose property adjoins our Country Club.

It is always interesting to see just how deeply held people's "values" are. In this case, it appears, to be about the depth of one layer of paint.

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

I agree that it is a noble thing to help the homeless. The question I have. Is this guy really helping them or is he enabling them?

And the answer is it depends. If you have people that just move into his back yard and sit around waiting for their next meal to be delivered, he is enabling. If on the other hand the people that live there are using the opportunity as a crutch to get back on their feet, he is helping them.

I applaude him and his effort. He has more courage than I do. I'm going to send him a check.

 

[Fletch]

... not to mention some of these well balanced "homeless" people may be carrying a gun.

Because people who carry guns are evil, right?

 

[Fletch]

As far as someone moving a person in to your house. I feel that your damm luckly something did't happen.
JUST MY

I'd say my "house guest" is damn lucky he didn't have to rely on your courage or compassion.

 

[Eddie]

Wow!! I can't belive all this guy is doing to help the homeless!! sharing his propety and making sure this people have a place to leave. GREAT!!
Also I can't beleive all of you are so open to this and non of you leave in this town or near this quack. Let forget all of this kids in this neighborhood and the possably of sex offender in this guys back yard and not to mention some of these well balanced "homeless" people may be carrying a gun. I live about two miles from this quack and have had my house and car broken in to and also some of my neighbors houses broken in to as well. I'm sorry homeless is an issue but i feel that a home owner, sharing his back yard to help out. Is real bull **** and he doesn't feel the need to be nice to his neighbors.
Some of you feel this ok, how about i found some of you neighbors and ask them to move in "homeless people" to your neighborhoods. As far as someone moving a person in to your house. I feel that your damm luckly something did't happen.
JUST MY

I will admit that I would hate it if this guy lived next door to me. I don't particularly feel that strongly about the homeless to sympathize with him. I do however believe very strongly in the concept that a person's home is their castle and they should have as few restrictions as possible on what they do in their own backyard. That being said, I would still not be surprised if he ends up the victim of a crime perpetrated by someone he is trying to help, but that is the nature of the beast. He is an adult and how he spends his time and his money is his own business.

 

[mrjarrell]

This is what I get for going to bed at a decent hour. Fletch and the others have pretty well covered all the bases that I would have. Kudos to the man for stepping up and doing the right thing.

 

[Fletch]

"The Christian faith has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried."
-- G.K. Chesterton


"The Christian life is stamped all through with impossibility. Human nature cannot come anywhere near what Jesus Christ demands, and any rational being facing his demands honestly says, 'It can't be done, apart from a miracle.' Exactly."
-- Oswald Chambers


"You don't get brownie points for doing what's easy."
-- Jesus Christ, Luke 6:32-36 (paraphrased)

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

If you turn a blind eye and back hand people in need the government will focus both eyes and stick both hands in your pocket to pretend to help them.

 

[ARdysfunction]

I think indymonkey already hit on this...

But 99% of homeless people WANT to be. They choose to live that way. Usually because of addiction. They have no intention of ever getting thier lives together and sobering up. They prefer to let others deal with the problems of feeding and housing them.

I am all for property rights. But this goes way beyond that. He is helping a problem NOT solving one. He is giving people an avenue to continue their drug use and lack of responsibilities. I would be very surprised if any of these people ever take advantage of the help that they are being offered.

 

[hornadylnl]

I openly admit that I struggle with having compassion for those in need. As a Christian, I fail miserably in this area. My church sermon today was titled "What Happens... When I Have the Mindset of the 'Good Samaritan'" and it brought me back to this thread. We had a guy give a testimony about pulling 5 people out of a burning van on 465. He had to make a conscience decision as he looked at his own family in his vehicle to go back to the van and risk his life to save those he could.

I would like to think I would be supportive of my neighbor if he started a tent city in his yard. I have an uncle who has been homeless off and on for at least 10 years now. He's not an alcoholic or a druggie. He thinks he's a profit from God to share a message. Any time we tell him to get a job and reference II Thesselonians, he comes back with the story of Elijah in II Kings and how he was put up by a woman. My uncle lives with a lady friend until she gets her fill of him and puts him out. She always takes him back. He contributes absolutely nothing. He talked his son into walking away from a good career, wife and small children to be homeless with him. Luckily my cousin got his head back on straight and went back to his family and job. My uncle was irate when he found out he was going back to work.

 

[Fletch]

I think indymonkey already hit on this...

But 99% of homeless people WANT to be. They choose to live that way. Usually because of addiction. They have no intention of ever getting thier lives together and sobering up. They prefer to let others deal with the problems of feeding and housing them.

I am all for property rights. But this goes way beyond that. He is helping a problem NOT solving one. He is giving people an avenue to continue their drug use and lack of responsibilities. I would be very surprised if any of these people ever take advantage of the help that they are being offered.

So what? Maybe the exercise of compassion doesn't have to result in any permanent, noticeable, or significant change for the people being shown compassion. Maybe it's important to do just because it's what differentiates us from insects. Maybe it's worthwhile just for the effect that it has on Dr. Taylor's soul.

I do know that I'd rather have a neighbor who took a chance on a fellow human being who was a bad risk than one who pre-judges his condition and deems him unworthy of any effort.

 

[Fletch]

I have an uncle who has been homeless off and on for at least 10 years now. He's not an alcoholic or a druggie. He thinks he's a profit from God to share a message. Any time we tell him to get a job and reference II Thesselonians, he comes back with the story of Elijah in II Kings and how he was put up by a woman. My uncle lives with a lady friend until she gets her fill of him and puts him out. She always takes him back. He contributes absolutely nothing. He talked his son into walking away from a good career, wife and small children to be homeless with him. Luckily my cousin got his head back on straight and went back to his family and job. My uncle was irate when he found out he was going back to work.

And for the record, I am not in any way denying that folks like this exist. I'm related to at least one or two that I know of. But I'd feed them if they needed it, and help in whatever way made sense. Sometimes that means the "tough love" approach, sometimes it doesn't. You can't know for sure unless you've gotten involved, and that's what Dr. Taylor has done.

 

[hornadylnl]

I think helping the homeless is a great thing but the shelters that wait on them hand and foot with 0 expectations are failing these people. A large part of self respect is being able to take care of yourself.

From my understanding, many of the private shelters put demands on the homeless and that's why they'd rather live under a bridge.

 

[EvilleDoug]

I live in a crappy part of town here and I wouldn't want a tent city popping up next to me, but if it started and was established before I knew what was going on then I would let it be.

Sure, the concerns about sex offenders and the theft of personal property is real, but there are people living in your neighborhood right now who are sex offenders and thieves. This is a good thing the man is doing, though I wouldn't like it near me, I would support his efforts.

Pretty much do what you've been doing all the time...lock you doors, teach your children about strangers and practice situational awareness.

Not everyone who is homeless are BGs, some have just made poor life choices and they know it.

My 2 cents.

 

[Soundslikejosh]

I don't know why everyone thinks that the homeless are all sex offenders and thieves. Do you really know anything about yours other neighbors? Before you start drawing the "us" vs. "them" mentality you might reconsider. Just because your neighbor owns his home he is a good guy? Not a rapist, no criminal records, saves trapped puppies and walks old ladies across the street? Please.

It would be naive to say that there isn't a higher incidence of crime in this group- their whole situation predisposes them to it. But many INGO members seem to suggest that the entire neighbor is going to be raped or up in flames within 24 hours. That seems like a high and mighty attitude. You weren't so worried before the gypsies moved in, despite the fact that you probably don't really know anything about your neighbors.

 

[360]

Since I have lived in Bloomington my whole life, I think it is safe to say that if they don't have a 365 shelter by now, they have no intentions of keeping one. We have a place here that caters to the homeless and needy (the name escapes me now), and from what I understand, it is a cesspool of bad news. Back to one of my other posts, I also think that if some of the supporters here were faced with this predicament in their own neighborhood, I still believe you would feel differently. Not only do any of us know the backgrounds of ANY of the people staying there, but a stereotype is in place to give offense as to what to expect. The mere fact that this is a residential neighborhood with families so close, and the gentleman opening his property to vagrants, is not only a moral wrongdoing, but a safety issue as well. I'm sure he didn't ask any of the neighbors if they minded being host to a band of vagrants over the summer.

For him to reside and establish this tent city in the county, and to try to prove a point to the city is also moot. If anything, they should have organized it in a city park.

 

[Soundslikejosh]

So when Dr. Taylor's neighbor invites over a friend who gets mean when he drinks, is the neighor going to apologize to Dr. Taylor? Or ask his permission who he can invite to his house?

Can the neighbor then be accused of moral wrong-doing and safety violations?

You certainly get more respect in this conversation because you have to live near it, but I still think everyone is going overboard here. We are theorizing, you are dealing with it. If I were in your shoes, I believe I'd feel differently. But, I can't be sure.

 

[Eddie]

I think helping the homeless is a great thing but the shelters that wait on them hand and foot with 0 expectations are failing these people. A large part of self respect is being able to take care of yourself.

From my understanding, many of the private shelters put demands on the homeless and that's why they'd rather live under a bridge.

Yes they do. The private shelters around here require the occupants to help clean and prepare meals. They are not allowed to smoke or drink and they have set times to be inside for the night and set times for lights out. I will freely donate my money and food to these places but I won't give cash directly to someone who claims to be homeless.