NIMBY

September 1, 2013

My brother Glenn has been in the business of helping people his entire life. If you were to go to his house right now in Eager Arizona you would be greeted by one or more persons that just happen to be residing there because they need a place to stay. Most of us say that is noble, charitable, or some other positive accolade; however, we prefer to let others do the heavy lifting. Not in my back yard, you say. Town after town has legislated away the right for some people to live in their midst. You must not be dirty, strange, broke, or askance with the law. Motels, mobile home parks, and other places where the homeless have found refuge, are turned to rubble.

In a recent conversation with well intentioned people the conversation turned to our plight in having to step over and around people holding signs and asking for money. In another life we called them beggars. Cities have become the dumping ground for people. No one is supposed to know this, but many are steered toward homeless shelters and selected spots in bigger communities where they can be monitored for inappropriate behavior. I have watched with horror as an elderly friend of mine and his two teenage children have been from place to place because of mold contamination, lack of legal heating and sewage. After five months in a place which serves as one of these gathering spots, where whoring, drugs, and worse are the norm, his family have finally gotten a break and been assisted in getting a home where he can help in raising his children.

You ask – what did he do to bring this on himself?  I answer, probably everything possible. Christ’s answer – What can we do to bless the lives of those around us. I have seen rings and arm bands with the initials WWJD. My wonderful friend Lloyd Pendleton has worked for years, first with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and now with the State of Utah in attempting to bless the lives of those less fortunate. I have seen him in all kinds of environments pleading with communities, begging private philanthropic groups, urging the policing community, nudging state and federal government agencies to broaden their understanding of the issues related to living on this planet.

Many times I have gotten completely under his skin. Not because of the wonderful things he does, but because of what we, as God loving souls should understand. Namely, until we understand that, just as Jesus walked and talked with “sinners”, we too must, at very least, allow those less fortunate to live in our communities. We must assist them in building positive working and living skills. We must not enslave them by pushing charity on anyone. We have successfully put millions in slavery by handouts. Another good friend, Frank Yoder operates Resource and Re-entry center in Southern Utah. His slogan is, “Not a hand out, but a hand up.”

May God bless us all as we look beyond our personal treasures and work toward building more jobs, more adequate housing, and much improved perspectives on who lives next us. Not in my back yard would be a much better logo for things like giant alligators and subterranean monsters.

Duane Jacobs, Father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend