This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I was on TRAX to go help out with the homeless at Salt Lake City Mission. A respectable looking man boarded the train with suitcases on the way to the airport. At the next stop, two apparently homeless men boarded. They stood next to the traveler. Familiar with the variety of "faces" of the homeless, I saw these two men as no potential safety threat to other passengers. However, one tried to engage the distinguished man in conversation, and was mostly ignored.
It is a shame that society has so divided citizens by economic class that economically secure citizens can no longer distinguish the difference between a friendly greeting and a threat.
Being a "have-not" in an America of mostly "haves" can be a lonely place. Some of the homeless are just aching to be seen and acknowledged. To be ignored as if nonexistent is a tough position.
There are roadblocks the homeless face in trying to raise themselves up. For example, in Utah you need a state I.D. to get many services. Some homeless have had their I.D. confiscated by the police. To get a new one they need a birth certificate. In order to get a birth certificate they need an I.D. as well as an address to send mail to.
Homeless people do break the law. Look at how often you see them jaywalking. No one is above the law. I find it particularly irksome to see both students and professionals in suits — those who should be setting an example — ignoring traffic lights.
We are one world, one human race. To set ourselves above others or deny the humanity of anyone is to diminish us all.
Angelique Brebis
Salt Lake City