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I sincerely hope that the critics on this comment thread feel the same for themselves…..

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Mike

The reason you’re not hearing from supporters is that they are busy helping others and not whining on the blog all the time.

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For.

The.

Win.

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Mike

But lumping all of the people at Nickelsville I in the those bums don’t deserve help from decent folks category only makes it harder for those residents who want to clean the camp up to do so.

But there are people there who are hurting our community, and enabling them is not helping. This high-minded “compassion” of which you speak is naive. I know that there are people there buying booze for kids. Don’t kid yourselves that people in need won’t do what they feel they must to make some money. You might argue that society, or the system, or whatever, has forced them into this position, and they can’t help it.

But we can help it, and not by continuing to enable it, but to force the city to do something about homelessness other than relegate it to a working class community that has no skill, nor services, to deal adequately with it. Tent City is not good for Highland Park, and it is not good for the homeless.

Sure, we don’t want people to be cold. I get that, but we don’t want to make it so easy for nefarious individuals to take advantage, and some do and will, regardless of what your compassion or guilt tell you.

This regular is simply not acknowledging meanness.. no matter how righteously it is disguised.

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Same here.

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I thought about replying last night, but am damn sick and tired of arguing with people that come across as non-compassionate, and whose minds will likely never be changed. I’ve recently stopped doing so with a regular on the WSB Forums, that repeats his “complaints” ad nauseum.

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I’d be down helping at NV myself, but in this cold weather, with my COPD, even walking less than a block from the bus stop, with a 10 lb bag of groceries is tough.

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Even though those of us that speak up for the less fortunate should continue to do so, to educate others, and counter what the naysayers spew, I am simply burned out on talking to brick walls, and need to take a break, for the sake of my own sanity….

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Mike

I spoke with someone at camp this morning. If they are going to reach their goal of getting the tents raised above the persistent flooding they still need 2x4s, plywood, large tarps, duct tape, bungie cords and nails.

Handwarmers and thermacare style heating pads to restore cold muscles to working conditions would also be helpful.

Really guys… blaming people for not being able to seize the opportunities they don’t have is a cheap sport. Anyone can take cheap shots but you don’t gain much credibility shooting ducks in a barrel.

Here is the perfect opportunity to help people help themselves… and you sit on the sidelines making allegations and name Calling.

That says a whole lot more about you than about them.

Watch your kids.

Do members of this encampment volunteer in the local commnuity? How are they giving back, or are they?