Page 8 The Broncos' Voice October, 1991
Solving Homelessness Requires Action
One of the 'uiggest problems
facing the American agenda today is the
plight of homelessness. It probably is
one of America’s most serious
problems.
What is homelessness?
"Homelessness is the lack of having a
living place to call one’s own."
(Zacque;> D. Gray). The homeless
problem is by no means a new problem;
it has been around for many years. Only
now, with the aid of drugs and alcohol,
it has become a much larger problem.
The problem is exacerbated by the sheer
numbers of poor people, lack of
education and high unemployment.
In America, homelessness is
associated with the poor and the
illiterate. The homeless are placed into
these categories with blacks heading the
list. Yet the criteria associated with
homelessness is not very strict or
discriminatory; any and everyone can
fall victim to this predicament. Anyone,
regardless of race, can become
homeless. All it takes is one financial
mistake, one medical disaster, one stroke
of bad luck, and no one to help you.
Even natural disasters have made
hardworking people homeless.
Jason Pierre
We live in a society where
defense, power, and wealth are more
important than its citizens. We elect a
government which prefers to arm, feed,
and support other countries and leave its
own people in dire straits; a counu-y in
which a barrel of oil and a missile are
worth a few lives. Is this the America
we want? Is this the America we dream
of?
The homeless problem is
present because we, as a people, have
lost our values. Our values as a country,
our family as well as our personal
values, have all been replaced by greed.
The great American society has been
transformed into a society of survival of
the fittest where the almighty dollar
reigns.
Homelessness is not a disease.
It is not some form of punishment. It is
a self-inflicted wound; a wound inflicted
by a lack of support from our peers.
Unfortunately, it is a wound that will
eventually kill us if something isn’t
done soon. This is our problem,
America, and we need affirmative action
immediately.
Solutions for homelessness are
abundant; they range from government
funding to public awareness and
response. The following are a few ideas,
submitted by the FSU l^amily, on how
we can solve one of America’s
problems.
* "Homelessness is one of our
nation’s greatest problems that can only
be solved if we, as a country, join
together and force the government to
divert funds from the National Defense
budget and use them to solve this
problem." - Zacques D. Gray, freshman
* "Education and community
awareness is the only answer to this
problem." - Quincy Campbell, freshman.
* "We need more shelters and
at these shelters have work
programs. Also, more government
funding." - Tyrone G. Battle,
freshman.
* "Society must realize that the
homeless people aren’t asking for a
handout only a helping hand." - Tiffany
M. Andrews, freshman
* "The homeless problem can
best be solved by government
involvement. Monies and property
collected from drug busts
should be used to establish temporary
Understanding The Concept of a
Multicultural Education
One can look in almost any
mainstream magazine today and read
some article about political correcmess
(PC) and multiculturalism. Time,
Newsweek, and Penthouse have done
their fair share of fueling the debate.
Even Georgie Bush, the president, has
joined the bandwagon to denounce
political correctness. The two terms
have become interchangeable because
they are so frequently used in
conjunction. However, the debate about
this issue is in many ways similar to the
many debates one hears about civil
rights and quotas or integration and
busing; there is a general confusing of a
goal or aim with the methods used to
achieve that goal or aim. Subsequently,
many condemn the goal itself instead of
criticizing the means of achievement or
developing alternative methods of
achievement. This mistake has,
unfortunately, created an abundance of
articles about an issue by people who
have no understanding of the
distinctions involved. This article is an
auempt to explain the goal of
multicultural education and the method
of political correctness to achieve that
goal.
Multicultural education appears
at first glance to be a self explanatory
concept. However, from reading the
vehement opposition to multiculturalism
one can quickly ascertain that the
hysteria and misunderstanding is as
silly, yet as damaging, as the hysteria
that clouded the campaign to win
passage of the Equal Rights
Amendment.
During the vigorous campaign
to win the ERA, the opposition was so
desperate to defeat the equality
amendment that it began a media
campaign based on untruths and
outrageous hypotheses of what a future
of gender equality would be like. Before
one could say ’pay equity,’ there were
articles claiming that the ERA would
make unisex bathrooms mandatory and
make prostitution a viable occupation
for welfare mothers. Housewives, who
at one time seemed to like the idea of
homemaker as a v. 'ble and worthy
occupation, suddenly I '■ame convinced
that they would be foi ed out of the
home and forced into a job where they
were required to life heavy objects. The
scenarios became so frightening and
downright ludicrous that women began
to voice opposition to an amendment
that would have given them economic
equality. Thus, women are still paid
$.67 for every $1 a man earns. The goal
of equal rights was defeated by the
means of the opposition to distort the
issue. It was very successful.
Well, multiculturalism is being
pushed through the same ringer and
possibly with the aid of the same forces
- those with the most to lose or those
who have become comfortable in the
STORY
shelters. A job training and placement
program should be mandatory for
individuals who reside in these shelters."
- Juanette Council, Counselor and Drug
Education Coordinator.
* "Homelessness can only be
solved through direct funding by the
federal government and the
implementation of social reform across
the board." - Steve Blanchard
These suggestions are all
wonderful ideas, it lets us know that
people are thinking about the problenj,
but we need the support of the
government and the American public u>
pul an end to this horrifying situation.
What we need arc constructive ideas
supported by immediate action.
- Jason C. Pierre
Barbara Beebe
status quo. The opponents of
multiculturalism cite that the basis of
American education is being destroyed
by those who wish to teach myths,
numerology, queer sex and all sorts stuff
that had nothing to do with the making
of America. Columnist George F. Will,
in his typical manner of obscuring the
facts to cull a great line or phrase,
declares that there is a ’curriculum war’
that is a "war of aggression against the
Western political tradition and the ideas
that animate it." This is George Will’s
cowardly way of trying to align
multiculturalism with communism, two
schools of thought in direct opposition
to each other. Yet, in the same piece,
entided "Curdled Politics on Campus",
Will defines the purpose of America’s
schools, stating that education is
supposed to "produce graduates who
think precisely, write clearly, read
complex material and bring historical
understanding to today’s conditions."
(Italics added) Exactly how does Mr.
Will and others who seem to follow his
contradiction believe one can have an
historical understanding of today’s
conditions without a multicultural
education? How can one understand the
plight of Native Americans in this
country if one only knows about
Pilgrims and has vague recollections of
Sacajawea with Lewis and Clark? How
can one possibly begin to understand the
proliferation of Afro-Americans
reclaiming their history if one is only
told about the Emancipation
Proclamation, but not about the cruelty
of the Middle Passage? How can one
begin to understand the depth of the loss
felt by many women with the defeat of
the ERA without understanding the
historical conditions of female
servitude? How can one function in
today’s society without knowing
something about Afro-Americans,
Latinos, Asians, women, gays/lesbians,
etc? According to the opposition’s way
of thinking, multiculturalists will deny
the fact that George Washington was the
first president of the United States and
claim that it was actually a Black gay
woman in a wheelchair who was the
first to lead this country in government.
Well, truth be known, multicultural
education seeks to do no such thing.
Multiculturalism does not seek to
change the history that is already
pounded into the heads of students; it
does wish to add the perspectives and
achievements of the other millions of
people who inhabit the planet along with
Anglo-Saxon males and have
contributed a fair share to the making of
the American pie.
Education continued on p. 12