An Out Of Control, Over The Top, Situation In Minneapolis

A number of people in our church have recently had necessity to drive downtown to the area of the Salvation Army's Harbor Light Mission. The address is 1010 Currie Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 It is about a block from the Target Center on the North East and a block from Sharing and Caring Hands, another shelter, on the North West.

This area of the city has become infested with homeless, alcoholic, beggars. And they harass anyone who dares to come into their area. Mocking, leering, intimidation of visitors is present everywhere and the police do nothing about it. Women are especially harassed. So much so that our church members cannot risk single women helping anyone from that mission shelter without an escort.

I believe that this is a direct result of the change of the law in Minneapolis that began to allow begging on the streets once again. Yes, that is right, it is legal for the people to stand at expressway entrances and beg for money. This makes liberal Minnesota a sweet place to spend a summer begging for money and drinking your life away.

The cold weather will clear most of these people out soon enough. They will head South and find a warmer place to sleep under the stars. These sort of laws only encourage irresponsibility. Trust me, the Southern states do not have silly laws like these.

Spare me your liberal, air headed, lamentations for these folks. These are not the folks that need our sympathy and help. Those good folks are the people who we are visiting and giving rides to from the Harbor Light facility. Harbor Light is a great place for those in need. But they have rules and the street people are not really looking for help to find a job. They just want life on their own terms with free tobacco and alcohol.

If you disagree with my analysis, send me a comment. I would be very happy to blow you out of the water. I lived in the streets myself for a significant period of my life. I know who is out there. Come on... Try me.... !