18 Comments

Are the homeless in Luxemburg as dangerous as the ones in the US? Because, to be frank, I feel that violent people are just more common in the US. I've never seen the homeless become violent in Germany, and I've been walking past them countless times at train stations. The homeless here beg, of course, and cower in the corner, are making everyone uncomfortable but never got violent that I had witnessed.

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I was involved in leftist organizing for a while and the idealism that you name regarding restorative justice and no policing also frustrated me. I have also survived a lot of violence, a few times when the cops needed to be involved, and while it’s part of my spiritual practice to forgive my perpetrators internally and wish for them to get better, I really doubt most of them will. How does society humanely handle people who routinely commit violent crimes? I have no answer to that. I think there is so much fantasy around non-violence within liberalism and this seems to trickle info aspects of leftism (although leftists tend to be more realistic about systemic violence).

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May 8, 2023Liked by Rhyd Wildermuth

In June 1977, I stepped off a bus in downtown San Francisco with just a big back pack having traveled from the Midwest. I marveled at the clean air and beautiful clean city. The next week I travelled all over the city using the bus system feeling safe and stayed in safe affordable places downtown. No homeless that I remember, even the "bad" Tenderloin district was to my eyes innocuous. People were friendly and open. The peak of self reported happiness in a long continuing poll in the US was in 1956. Our country to me now feels like a staggering zombie with a semblance of life.

I have done a lot of volunteer stuff with the homeless and my spiritual fellowship is found here - https://www.facebook.com/thewarehousevisalia/ The leader and his wife have been involved with this for 15 years. He is from a vicious criminal past and years of prison experience, looks like a bald, bearded big bellied viking covered with tattoos. Says he does more funerals than baptisms. Positive change is slow and difficult and infrequent with lots of relapses. The dysfunction is mind boggling. But when change happens - wonderful. I have seen some great befores and afters. Fortunately the local city leadership and county leadership is helpful and members of the local elite are even involved https://www.saltandlightworks.org/ The homeless are a symptom of a sick, and yes dying culture. Your essay is spot on!

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May 8, 2023Liked by Rhyd Wildermuth

Curious if you noticed a common through line, if any, to the people who did respond to your help and improve? I also wonder if Hoovervilles where similarly violent and desperate as the homeless situation seems to be now.

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And your essay on what else is possible is in process? 🌷

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I related a story elsewhere about my most recent experience (just before Covid) in response to this, since it was on a DC metro car and struck me as somewhat similar. A man was behaving in erratically, was fairly aggressive and making threats. A couple of nearby cars had completely emptied out at the previous station; it was pretty clear why. He was playing with a knife in the pocket of his jacket; I caught a clear glimpse of it the second time he walked past me.

I'm large, very strong, and have a fair amount of experience fighting. If I have to subdue someone who is armed, the best possible circumstances are to have the initiative and engage before the weapon has been deployed. But violence is ugly, chaotic, and extremely risky. I chose to remain standing in one of the doorways and keep an eye on him while avoiding direct eye contact. If I acted, the best case was spending the rest of my night with the police and the tears that come with hurting someone (even if I felt it was necessary); the worst case is I get stabbed to death on a DC Metro car.

When the metro car stopped at the last station, they locked us on the train with him for several minutes while the police prepared to rush him. That was the worst part of the situation - he could see the police gathering, so which way would he break? Would the knife stay in his pocket? Would he attack someone else or me? Would he turn it on himself? In the end, he was quickly surrounded and subdued by the police, in perhaps what was one of the best possible outcomes for that situation. And luckily for me, my evening ended only on the cusp of violence this time.

In hindsight, my decision turned out fine. On a different day, maybe my decision is different. Maybe he brandishes his weapon a little more openly, maybe his threats are different, maybe he's touching people instead of just talking, maybe I'm there with someone else - my wife, a friends' kids, an elderly relative - and I decide I have to act. Maybe I'm killed or have to live with killing someone & I'm sent to prison when a jury doesn't agree with my judgement. Maybe if the variables swing a little differently on his side, he opts to attack or kill me or someone else. Maybe I'd be writing now about my shame - I saw a knife, knew I could act, and chose to watch and wait.

In between the ideological nonviolent purity of many on the left and the gun-as-magical-talisman on the right, those who deal with or have dealt with violence know that every choice is fraught with its own dangers and possible terrible outcomes. Every society has had its way to dealing with violence; dealing with demons. It's really weird that for all of our refusal to acknowledge the unseen, in the US we address it with truly magical thinking.

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Speaking of demons, former meth addicts have told me they sense a demonic component to the drug. Our continued societal degeneration is a combo pack of social, personal, economic, family, physiological, spiritual, emotional, mental, environmental (nature itself is now diseased!) and yep, demonic factors.

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This is the most levelheaded take on the Neely death that I’ve read. I appreciate the compassionate, clear-thinking discussion and the context provided around mental health, homelessness and violence. It really feels like such an intractable, tragic issue :-(

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At the tender age if 55 I have started training in Jiu Jitsu. I’m learning how to defend myself in a way that is more likely to avoid seriously injuring my attacker...kicks and punches being unnecessary and many times even counterproductive. And, it is practical for facing bigger and stronger attackers. On top of that, Jiu Jitsu can be helpful for folks who have PTSD. Check out the nearest Gracie training center!

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Of course, in the US, as anyone who reads the news knows, people who have homes and are leading superficially ordinary lives may start spraying bullets all over the mall for no understandable reason. Most of them seem to be sober when they do these things. I guess we're democratizing random violence here. It's not just for the poor and desperate anymore.

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I also wonder what the people who want Daniel Penny arrested and convicted plan to do with him afterward. send him to prison? Execute him?

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I was thinking about traditional Chinese medicine as explained to me by an accomplished practitioner and I remember something she said about treatment for mental illness, especially schizophrenia. The acupuncture points that are used were originally ones for dealing with evil spirits. The treatment, while it doesn’t cure, dials down the condition so it’s more manageable.

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