Column One: The place where homeless people come to die with dignity
In the last decade or so, New York has become known as a city that is often described as the most expensive place to live in the world. But most New Yorkers would say they are at least willing to take a few days off to visit a homeless shelter or to donate money to the city to be able to give to a charity that helps them. Most would even admit that they don’t want to give their money to a charity that gives money away to a religious group to feed their homeless or gives money to an animal slaughterhouse to kill their homeless.
But of all the services that the city has to offer to homeless people, this is what New York is known for.
If you ever come down from the high elevation, you will see a homeless man on a bench. You will see what looks like a guy who has lost his vision but is otherwise alive… and the only reason he is sitting on a bench is because he got stuck in a homeless bathroom when he went back home.
There are many people who have lost their sight in the last decade, and the number of homeless people with a permanent disability is on the rise as more and more people are migrating from the rural United States to cities in other parts of the world. It is estimated that there are more than 7 million people with disabilities in the United States. This is a growing number in New York City.
I am in a wheelchair, and I still have family around me who think that I am a lunatic because I choose to be blind. But I want to live this life with dignity. If you are in New York, I suggest that you walk past these men. As you pass by, do not look at them. Don’t even say hello. I have never been to New York City and am not even a New Yorker. But I have seen enough in my travels and in my encounters with the city to know that these men are people that I have seen countless times.
