To those worrying about my whereabouts, thank you for asking. To end the rumors, I’m not sick or dying. I haven’t gone back to drinking, nor have I lost my job and live in a shelter.
I paused writing for numerous reasons, but the main one is that I believe that free speech and Street Sense should welcome voices of dissent. That is what Street Sense opinions used to be about: listening to all voices, pros and cons. Opinions are meant to be subjective, not necessarily fact-based or accurate. When a column is scoured for its truth and accuracy, it destroys what an opinion is supposed to mean. It’s your voice, not the views of the editorial staff or Street Sense.
Enough people in the homeless community say the same things. Why do I need to write another opinion that sounds the same as other opinions? It disappoints and saddens me that the opinion page has become the “Everyone Hates Trump” section rather than a cornucopia of diverse views.
Of course, there are double standards and hypocrisy. Why is nothing off-limits when it comes to speaking about Black conservatives and Trump supporters? However, marginalized groups need to be handled carefully. What does marginalized mean? I live in Washington, D.C., where we have a Black female mayor, police chiefs, and superintendents, and the D.C. Council is diverse. So why must you remain silent even if their policies and ideas are bad for the city?
Being in the writing business, I know news editors pretend they want sources when what they wish is slanted and biased opinions. Going against the herd and not siding with the cool kids means ostracization, losing viewers and subscribers, and calls for cancellation. I’m tired of trying to feed people positive, feel-good nonsense when Joe Biden and the Democrats are messing up the country.
The policies of Democrats suck, while Trump’s policies were a slice of heaven. Do you want proof? Check your bank account, and buy a loaf of bread and eggs.
How does the $20-an-hour minimum wage work out for the people who support it? Despite the studies from leftwing economists that say raising the minimum wage would be an investment in growing the economy, it never happens. Raising wages eliminates jobs, makes everything expensive, and forces businesses to flee to another state. This absence of businesses leaves a vacuum where young men are forced to sell drugs, rob, and carjack because their cities have become resort destinations for all the vagrants and dregs of society.
That is how I feel. I don’t need an official statistic about how good things are. I’m hurting and want relief. Stop pretending as if I can see the gaslighting. I’m not buying what the media is selling. If I see eggs are $6 and you tell me the economy is fabulous, there is no economic number that will convince me that we should stay with Biden as president. If I’m saying it’s raining, quit telling me I’m not getting wet based on my sources and stats.
The issue I’m having with the opinions section is that the sources they claim to be legitimate, New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN, god forbid, came from sources such as Fox News and Breitbart. Even if Fox and Breitbart were legitimate in their claims, the footage would be chopped up, cut, and edited. What annoys me is that we are singing to a narrow group of people who want cheerleading rather than truth.
Editors want to target this audience. Why must we be sensitive to people wearing masks two years after COVID19? We must show sensitivity to Biden voters and pretend Joe Biden is in charge when we see him stutter, stammer, and be handled like delicate glass.
Everything is offensive to someone. My writings and words are not to make people feel good about themselves but to tell the truth, how I see it. I don’t care what side you’re on, I only care about what is right and what is wrong.
If you support Trump, the people who hate him will call you, “Deplorable and unsophisticated rubes.” How is that not offensive to quite a few subscribers who are Republican and may support Trump? If my opinion offends those who read it, why don’t they write an opinion piece about why the country is better off with Biden than Trump?
Who are we targeting: the thin-skinned? What is left to write about, when you have to walk on eggshells because there’s a pro-Trump article on the opinion page? If something offends you, turn the page and read the art section. Opinions are supposed to trigger, inflame, and cause a reaction.
The last time I looked, we lived in America — not a third world country. When you cite a source from an establishment newspaper, you’re not being innovative or groundbreaking but partisan. Today, being critical is considered trafficking in hate, which is unfortunate.
Can anyone see the contradictions and double standards? Homelessness has been met with opposition for decades. We are seasoned; we can handle negativity and criticism. I don’t need an advocate or someone to speak for me.
It’s not an editor’s role to make the writer find citations and sources but to let readers hear the pros, cons, and disinformation. It borders on arrogance when editors think readers need to be shielded from words that may hurt their feelings; let the reader decide. Our opinion must allow dissenting voices and foster a more dynamic and engaging opinion section.
I conclude by saying that we need to evolve. The people who buy Street Sense will always support us. We should target new arrivals to D.C. who don’t know the homeless situation. Instead of this prepared response, let everyone, pro or con have a voice.
