Thom Nickels, "Camp Philadelphia: The City of Brotherly Love is being overwhelmed by homeless tent cities."
Daniel, 37, has been dealing drugs in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood for years. The Lancaster County native has seen drastic changes on two fronts: the increased potency of the drugs on the market and the resulting behaviors of addicts, many of them homeless, buying these drugs. Gone are the days, he says, when one could purchase crystal meth and be certain that there were no additives in it. Today, fentanyl (a synthetic opioid stronger than morphine) is added to most street drugs. Daniel says the addition of fentanyl is intended to get the buyer addicted as quickly as possible because addiction ensures future sales.
Fentanyl has changed what it means to get high. Its users generally find themselves in a zombie-like state, unable to communicate or walk in a straight line. Some experience aggressive behaviors, hallucinations, and paranoia. Users who combine fentanyl with K2/Spice, a synthetic cannabinoid, often wind up screaming inanities in public or lose control of their bodily movements. In Kensington, it’s common to see K2 users behave as if they were in the throes of an epileptic seizure—they dance out into city traffic, arms and legs jerking violently, or thrash about on the ground, while those in a fentanyl trance stand immobile, bent over, their faces almost touching the ground.
In 2020, Philadelphia officials estimated the number of homeless people in the city at 300; police put the number at 650. The Office of Homeless Services has recently revised its estimate of the number of people living on the streets to 958. One homeless couple I met traveled to the city from Pittsburgh because they heard that Philadelphia was the place to go for affordable drugs. I encountered Elvis, 30, as he sat on the sidewalk near the local firehouse in my neighborhood while his wife, a tall, statuesque blonde, canvassed traffic with a “Homeless and Hungry” cardboard sign. “My wife makes better money than I do when she works traffic,” Elvis told me, “so I sit here and watch her to make sure she’s okay.”
Damn republicans.
ReplyDeleteYou mean damn Democrats responsible for The Tragedy of American Compassion.
ReplyDeleteDon't be culture snobs. Lots of black people around the world live in their own trash and excrement.
ReplyDeleteNo, I didn't make a mistake. I blame republicans. They are responsible for the tragedy of compassionate conservatism.
ReplyDeleteQuote: The centerpiece of his writing is "The Tragedy of American Compassion", a historical account of welfare programs in America that attempts to prove that the poor were better taken care of before the 20th century, when government played a limited roll and religious organizations were the principal source of aid for the poor. ...
Olasky's thesis rests on his interpretation of American history. His version of historical events is quite different from that offered by most historians. Close examination of his account is useful for a number of reasons. One is to illustrate the questionable accuracy and ethics of his scholarship. A second is to challenge his myth of colonial America, committed to the care of the needy. The third is to provide a more accurate picture of the nature and impact of 19th-century social welfare programs that Olasky offers as examples of compassionate conservatism. ... [end excerpt]
The book is self-serving fantasy.
...as opposed to compassion offered by the DMV/ MVA. lol!
ReplyDeleteDoes recycling rob the homeless of building materials?
ReplyDeleteDoes recycling rob the homeless of building materials?
ReplyDeleteIsn't that where their drug money comes from?
ReplyDeleteTurn trashy neighborhoods into green space. ;)
ReplyDeletecan you dig it
ReplyDeleteSend in the scoops!
ReplyDelete