{"id":4224,"date":"2009-09-17T23:59:29","date_gmt":"2009-09-18T06:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mehallo.com\/blog\/?p=4224"},"modified":"2009-10-03T17:16:12","modified_gmt":"2009-10-04T00:16:12","slug":"disgusts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mehallo.com\/blog\/archives\/4224","title":{"rendered":"Disgust this"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

San Francisco is a beautiful city. <\/p>\n

But there is a dark, very visible problem \u2013 one that frames our current national Health Care debate. The problem stems from what has been the traditional US approach: It’s not even happening<\/em> or We wish all that would just go away.<\/em><\/p>\n

For the rest of the country, it can be adapted to the acronym: NIMBY. It’s Not In My Backyard<\/em> so it doesn’t exist. Or: we don’t see it<\/em> in our backyard, so it’s not actually there<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Danish band Mew<\/a> was in SF recently and guitarist Bo Madsen posted a simple but poignant observation on their MySpace blog<\/a>. Here\u2019s the text: <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

sep 09. on tour through the fascinating land of america.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friends and strangers, please.<\/p>\n

ok, here we are in this beautiful city named san francisco, and oh golly, is it lovely! the streets curve here, up and down, in and out of the hills that are shaped like the tender bodies of blooming women. walking here is their caresses to the soles of your feet. the air is fresh here and often misty, evoking in you sleeping longings. the wooden houses are beautiful with high self esteem: you don’t find buildings like this anywhere else in the world! and as i am writing this, i am being served delicious food at one of the great local restaurants. everything is so good here, that even the indie stadium concert audiences amaze u !!<\/p>\n

there is however one thing that really casts a shadow over this good city. it has materialized on the body of the city like an open wound. the homeless. i know it is a general problem in america, but it just becomes so obvious when you go to SF. <\/p>\n

how come the worlds richest country cannot protect its citizens better from this terrible poverty? i dont believe the ‘they are too lazy to work or its their own fault’ rhetoric. living on the streets no one chooses.<\/p>\n

their destiny america wears like a badge of shame.<\/p>\n

b<\/em><\/p>\n

+<\/p>\n

My wife has more to say about this issue on her blog<\/a> \u2013 she speaks of my father-in-law (whom I\u2019ve never met) and the allure of The City by the Bay. <\/p>\n

It comes down to health care. Something that should be our right as American citizens. But isn’t.<\/p>\n

Image found via Buzznet<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\tTweet<\/a>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t