Trashing of America-Part 2

In my last speech I spoke about the various reasons I thought there was a growing problem with the Trashing of America. A second speech on ways I felt could be possible solutions was intended; however, since the last article not only has the problem grown, it has grown substantially. The last speech showed the deterioration of other countries and examples of cities in the U.S. that were beginning to see a problem with the trashing of our country. This speech will address the current rapid decline which confirms my previous concerns. 

 The news has been flooded with the homeless situation in California. L.A.’s homeless population has exceeded the population of L.A. residents. That in itself is a staggering thought. Think about it, there are more people living on the streets or in cars than there are people living in homes. Kern County jumped a staggering 50% in 2018,(see 1 below) and San Francisco’s homeless population has become a big enough problem, people are now living in makeshift boats. (see 2 below) 

 New York City’s homelessness has reached the highest levels since the depression. Approximately 58 percent of New York City homeless shelter residents are African-American, 31 percent are Latino, 7 percent are white, less than 1 percent are Asian-American, and 3 percent are of unknown race/ethnicity. (see 3 below) I will address these statistics and their relevance further in my speech. 

 Some other top states that deal with homelessness are Texas, Arizona and Washington. 

 What is the correlation between homelessness and the Trashing of America? It is obvious, trash. Los Angeles, with its vast problem with homelessness, has city work crews picking up 20 to 50 tons of trash every day and that is still not enough. Not all of this is from the homeless, some of it is from other people dumping their trash on the streets. (see 1 below) A video was taken by a California resident who recorded men dumping trash in a vacant lot in California, another problem the U.S. is dealing with. (see 4 below) Not respecting other’s by contributing to the filth was a topic I addressed in my last speech. 

 Trash brings rodents, rodents bring disease. Los Angeles is now facing diseases that have not been seen in centuries. You heard it right, not decades, centuries. According to UCLA infectious disease specialist Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, “Trash and food waste attracts rats,” said Klausner. “It does pose a public health risk.” An out-of-control rat population can even lead to the spread of dangerous strains of salmonella and bubonic plague, he noted. (see 5 below) 

 What about human waste, drug needles, and other illnesses? Let’s explore the dangers of those. Let’s begin with fecal matter or human waste. Diseases such as Hepatitis A and E, Salmonella or Typhoid Mary, E. Coli, Chollera, worms, E. Histolytica, Cryptosporidium, and the Polio Virus can be the result. These diseases are usually found in third world countries, however, they can also be found in the U.S. under growing unsanitary conditions. (see 6 below) Next let’s check out used drug needles. Getting stuck with a used drug needle puts a person at risk of Hepatitis B or C, and the HIV virus. (see 7 below) Typhus, Tuberculosis, and Syphilis are Medieval diseases that are beginning to emerge out of the darkness of homelessness. (see 8 below) 

 Have I gotten your attention yet? Sure this all sounds disgusting, because it is. Should we hide under a rock and pretend it doesn’t exist? We better not or we are in big trouble! Growing up I lived in a suburb outside of San Francisco. Our family took monthly trips into the city and I loved it. Although there are wonderful family memories, I have no desire to return to the once magical city. 

 So, we have undeniable evidence that homelessness, drug addiction, poverty, and illegal immigration is contributing to the trashing of our country at a explosive rate. All of this resulting in tons and tons of filth and disease that puts all at risk. New York alone poured 3.2 billion dollars into the problem with little positive result and absolutely no solution. (see 9 below) Some of the major reasons people are homeless are; poverty, disparity between the cost of housing and wages, lack of affordable housing, lack of affordable healthcare, inadequate support for mental health and substance abuse, and domestic violence. (see 10 below) 

 Sadly, when I wrote my last speech about one and a half years ago, I had no idea things were going to spiral out of control so fast. What I perceived back then as a problem in the making has fully developed into a crisis. 

When we set our standards as individuals and as a society low, we will suffer the consequences of it. When we lack dignity, self control, respect, honor, and integrity, on an individual basis, it affects society as a whole. It sounds as though I am picking on the homeless in this speech, and perhaps that is true to a certain degree; however, homelessness is a major force that is gaining momentum and needs to be addressed. 

 Interestingly enough, areas with the most issues with crime, drugs, and homelessness are sanctuary cities. California is a sanctuary state that is imploding. As illegal immigrants flow into the state, conditions worsen. Drug cartels and gangs run wild, crime peaks, and poverty takes precedence. Ethics and morals fly out the window into oblivion. Look at New York, and other sanctuary cities. With moral decline, trashing of our country follows. With the government pouring money into providing for the non contributors, the State of California is financially bankrupt and becoming the mirror of a third world country. 

 Any of us could fall on hard times at any time in our lives for any reason. There should be compassion and help. This speech is meant to shed light on a problem we need to evaluate and begin working on solutions. It is overwhelming to think of the effort it will take to turn things around, but we have to. Let’s not show future generations that we did not have the humanity within us to respect their humanity. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work, first by respecting ourselves and then others. My plans are still to write the speech “Cleaning Up America”. I better get writing, the rate we are going, I will have to write Trashing of America-Part 3. 

 Works Cited 

1) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/us/los-angeles-homeless-population.html 

2) https://www.wsj.com/articles/housing-in-san-francisco-is-so-expensive-some-people-live-on-boats-11557999002 

3)  https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/basic-facts-about-homelessness-new-york-city/ 

4) https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-illegal-dumping-attack-freeway-pomona 

5) https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2019/05/22/massive-piles-trash-home-rats-los-angeles-wont-city-clean/ 

6) https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-diseases-caused-by-fecal-matter 

7) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/used-needle-disease-risk_n_5c376e3ce4b045f67689c2ae 

8) https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/03/typhus-tuberculosis-medieval-diseases-spreading-homeless/584380/ 

9) https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-citys-spending-on-homeless-hits-3-2-billion-this-year-11558562997 

10) https://projecthome.org/about/facts-homelessness