- Home
- News Grid
- Local News
- Green Hawk
- Business
- Politics
- School Zone
- Nonprofits
- Missing Pets
- Multimedia
- Arts
- Movies
- Outdoors
- Sports
- News Releases
- Columnists
- Blogs
- Opinions
- Classifieds
- Advertise
- Donate
- Partners
Ken Williams: Fear
I would ask your indulgence for one moment. I would request of you to close your eyes briefly and imagine that you are at home — alone, sitting and enjoying a quiet evening, minding your own business. Then imagine two scruffy homeless men entering your domain and accosting you. One of the two men grabs a blanket that you’ve been using — you stand and try to retrieve it. One of these two guys picks up a bottle and smashes it against your head, causing your brain to swell, resulting in your death.
Try to imagine another time when, again, two or three homeless guys enter your house, and once again you are alone. They are upset with you. Maybe it’s the way you dress, in nice clothes that are washed. Or, maybe the way you smell of enticing perfume or sweet cologne. Who knows, it could be jealousy, or something that they thought you said or some obscure thing they think you stand for. Maybe they simply had a bad day, week or month. For all the reasons or no reasons at all they attack you, cowardly and viciously and beat you so badly that you die days later.
You don’t live in a violence-racked part of Los Angeles but in peaceful Montecito, Santa Barbara or Goleta. Perhaps your dying thoughts are: why me? These brutal homeless men didn’t even know you but they hated or feared you enough to kill you. Your last thoughts are of justice; at least the perpetrators will be brought to justice, that Santa Barbara cared enough to see these thugs pay for what they did.
Now open your eyes: It’s all just make believe. You are safe with no one hunting you. Unfortunately, for Ross Stiles, it was all too real. Two guys did in fact enter his camp and try to take a sleeping bag. Can you imagine the pain he felt when the bottle shattered against his skull, and the dull ache that slowly turned to excruciating pain as his brain swelled within the unforgiving confines of his skull?
What did Gregory Ghan feel when he was set upon by his killers? He was alone and defenseless. Feel the sheer terror he must have experienced as fists and feet brought killer blows down upon him. Perhaps he also wondered why these kids, privileged enough to have apartments or homes to go to at night find the hatred within their hearts to beat him so viciously and cowardly. And also, if Alan was set upon while sitting in his wheelchair, what kind of courage did that take of his attackers? He was a crippled man without a leg fighting depression. And I don’t even want to try to imagine the pain and helplessness Alex felt as his body burned. That is a pain no one should endure.
Fear is one of the most terrible emotions that we possess. It makes us shun reason and see things that are not there. Sometimes when I’m at meetings and people begin to express their uncomfortableness being around homeless people, I close my eyes and imagine I am just a typical American sitting with a like-minded group of individuals anywhere in our recent history. I can hear the talk of how encountering black men at night frightens us — or dark-skinned Latinos, or swarthy Italians or hot-tempered Irish-Americans. You supply the racial stereotypes, the “other.”
But then I open my eyes and realize it’s not really about them — the others, about walking at night while black; it’s us — about our own fears, and the fear of the unknown, especially of people different from ourselves. Maybe it’s the mentally ill person who talks to himself or herself; or some who may smell different, or perhaps dresses in dirty clothes. For sure it’s of poor people who are forced to sleep on the streets. Maybe it’s because their very existence challenges so many of our most cherished images of ourselves: Are we a compassionate people who strive to protect the weak? Or are we a predator nation that makes war on those different than ourselves? Are we a nation of laws with equality for all regardless of our station in life? Or do we let multimillionaire bankers desert sinking ships once their malfeasance has thrown thousands out of work and depleted hard-earned retirement accounts of workers, while we accept freedom for killers in our community?
Obviously I wouldn’t bother to write, to attempt to share the knowledge of poverty and the injustices inflicted against the poor if I didn’t know deep down in my heart that the citizens of my community do care. I think that basically we are a good people — that we don’t want murderers walking freely on our streets. Perhaps we may not always know what to do, how to enact change — but as a caring community, we must strive for justice for all of us. Ross and Gregory, and now perhaps Alan and Alex wait for that justice. As a community, we dare not fail them.
Update
A kindly, frail veteran in his 50s is the 16th homeless person to die on our streets this year. Sixteen. For all of last year only 18 homeless people died.
— Ken Williams has been a social worker for the homeless for the last 30 years. He is the author of China White and Shattered Dreams, A Story of the Streets.
Comments
Noozhawk's comments are moderated, but by posting here you accept your responsibility to follow our rules as part of Noozhawk's shared online community. Please keep your comments civil and helpful. Don't attack other readers personally, and do not use vulgar, abusive or discriminatory language. Use the "Report Abuse" link if a comment violates these standards or our Terms of Use.
» on 06.02.09 @ 06:43 PM
It’s not just the homeless; don’t forget the Faria Beach family murdered in the privacy of their own home.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.03.09 @ 03:55 AM
It breaks my heart to know that a helpless Veteran has been killed at the hands of those for whom he had defended in time of war and to know that another gentleman was killed just for sport. I pray that these individuals are brought to justice and I thank you, Mr. Williams for not letting us forget about these two lives lost. Bless you.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.03.09 @ 06:38 AM
We have to become more proactive and less reactive. People in the Santa Barbara community can make a difference if they get involved with individual friends on the streets. The issues are complex, but we can be peacemakers in the midst.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.04.09 @ 04:16 AM
unfortunatly many of my brothers on the street believe these attacks are being overlooked by the police and that many believe this is a good way to get rid of us. Jesus said the poor will always be with us. I wonder how many people in SB have experienced hunger, rejection, and desperation about where where they can safely rest there head. We live outside, and though the majority of us do our best to stay out of the way and not be a disturbance to the public, we are persecuted partly because what the minority of us do… Every walk of life. or every barrel of apples has some bad fruit. But I can assure you if you give us a chance and open your heart, you’ll see a lot more good apples than bad. And futhermore those good apples need your help, because if you abandon us , quess what, The bad apples take over. Thank you on behalf of all my brother’s and sister’s for your advocacy over the years… Don’t ever give up, GOD ALWAYS WINS
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
More Local News »
Ken Williams: Does Death Ever Tire of Taking Santa Barbara’s Homeless?
There's hardly time to grieve one loss before news of the next comes along
Ken Williams: Fighting ‘The Other’ Overseas Only to Become The Other at Home
Suspected Orange County serial killings of homeless exposes a bitter truth about war and its consequences
Ken Williams: Decrease in Homeless Deaths a Community Effort
The dead deserve justice, and two recent deaths specifically merit further scrutiny
Ken Williams: Life-Threatening Weather Conditions Take Toll on Homeless
It's imperative that police provide help and be in the loop on warming centers
Ken Williams: Tough Questions Go Unanswered After Tragic Death
Potential crime scene is cleaned up without any effort to determine what happened to a defenseless homeless woman
Weather: Fair 54.0º
Search Noozhawk »
