Public Comment

Governor Newsom is a politician, and he behaves like one. He wants your vote, and he wants to rise to successively higher political offices. He also makes photo ops and campaign promises. And, like a politician, some of the things he does are merely for the purpose of obtaining more votes. And all of the above is akin to birds behaving like birds, rocks behaving like rocks, and the constant rotation and orbit of Earth. I'm saying that if someone goes into politics, certain traits of behavior are inescapable.

The American public seems to be fed up with the predicament of so many people being homeless. Many blame the homeless person for their homelessness. This could be accurate some of the time. Yet, if you have a disability and can't work, there is not much insulation between oneself and becoming displaced. 

National Alliance on Mental Illness favors Newsom and his "care court" proposal. This is a major endorsement of a law before it was fully written. It involves putting a homeless person in front of a judge, with the presumption that if you are homeless, it is because you've refused mental health treatment. The assumption is flawed. And the proposed solution is flawed. Yet, it shows effort. 

Yet even use of the word "care" is far better than what Trump is saying and trying to do with mentally ill people. He is calling us "crazies" and he is blaming mental illness for the nationwide epidemic of gun violence. Trump's attitude is inexcusable, on nearly all issues. 

What strikes me as good about Newsom is the expression of empathy toward homeless and mentally ill. This is unusual in today's politics. Other politicians don't realize that many Americans would like to help the unhoused. Americans have empathy, at least some of us do. And Americans are tired of witnessing people going through such dire times. Additionally, some Americans view homeless encampments as a huge nuisance, and our mass media has crafted this perception. Nonetheless, what do you do about it? The simplest and most compassionate route is to provide housing. At a guess, this is also the most cost-effective. 

Americans are familiar with bigotry, and most of us believe it is a trait of the ignorant. Some are bigoted and dislike anyone who looks, acts, or believes differently than they do. However, most Americans strive not to be bigoted and to keep an open mind. And I am describing modern-day Americans--I am not describing Americans prior to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. In today's culture, most forms of prejudice and bigotry are not socially accepted. 

Newsom is not one hundred percent "genuine." Many of the things he does are for the purpose of a photo-op or a sound bite. Yet, most politicians are afraid to come out and say in public that they'd like to do something to help homeless and/or mentally ill people. This is because most politicians don't get it. They mistakenly think that Americans want help for the middle class only, and that Americans believe as the mass media would have us believe--mentally ill people and homeless people are worthless and nuisances. However, many Americans can think for themselves. And most of the likely voters have a modicum of compassion toward those less fortunate. 

Newsome's stance, for the forementioned reasons, is landmark. 

Gavin Newsome could beat Trump. Trump has a good chance of evading legal repercussions for his illegal activities because of the huge number of judges he appointed who will find him not guilty and will dismiss his cases. Thus, the threat to the American way of life ushered by Trump and his followers is far from over. This is not the time to get complacent. We are far from getting Trump locked up for his crimes. He has a very good chance at evading justice and then running for another term. 

Newsome is our best chance. And where Trump hates, Newsom is pro-human rights. Where Trump is pro-big oil, Newsom is pro-green. Where Trump lies, Newsom often tells the truth. And while they aren't complete opposites, Newsom will take the U.S. on a very different path than where Trump will lead us. Trump is fascist and Newsom is democratic--little "d". If Trump gets back into office, we can kiss our democracy goodbye. 

Newsom is one of the few politicians brave enough and wise enough to champion the rights of the homeless mentally disabled. His approach of putting a homeless person before a judge is far from perfect, and I disagree with it. Yet the mere mention of helping homeless and/or mentally disabled people is admirable, and readers should think about that.