Don't All Lives Matter?

Last weekend my friends and I travelled from San Diego to participate in the West Coast Walk for Life. Traversing the “Streets of San Francisco” exhilarated us spiritually, walking with tens of thousands - young and old, on fire for life. Being part of “the old,” with hip issues, I was not able to complete the two-mile trek, so midway through the walk, we veered off the beaten path to find a street that was open to traffic and Uber so we could return to the hotel. As we made our way, the exhilaration felt moments prior, turned to sadness and disgust. Away from the crowd, a side of life as devastating as abortion reared its ugly head.

There was the unmistakable smell of urine. We passed a homeless man leaning against a building with a large open wound on his leg with dirty gauze falling off. Another man had open sores all over his legs, the result of scratching them. It appeared both men had mental health issues based on their demeanor. As we moved on, we saw another man half-naked screaming and fighting with paramedics. There were little tents and cardboard boxes all over the place. Excrement, trash and needles littered the gutters and sidewalks, and not just in the seedier areas …  

I have attended the Walk for Life, off and on, for the past seven years, and never remembered it being this bad. Perhaps subconsciously I enlisted “selective viewing,” and that defense mechanism just happened to fail this time. It doesn’t matter. My rose-colored glasses fell off, and I cannot unsee the tragedy encompassing this once proud and beautiful city.

These destitute children of God are in dire need, not just for shelter but for mental health services. It is absolutely inhumane to ignore them. I’m sure not all have psychological problems. How many fell on hard times due to drug and alcohol abuse? How many are veterans suffering from issues such as PTSD to Agent Orange? What about the families huddled together? I am sure charitable organizations and shelters do what they can, but are more than likely overwhelmed and overcrowded.

What are the Mayor, the Governor, Congressional Representatives, and Senators doing? Probably living high off the hog, focusing on issues that interest the lobbyists who line their pockets. And it’s no wonder. They are ALL Democrat. I knew that party platform held no respect for lives in the womb, but I guess it applies to those on the streets as well.

As Catholics we believe all lives matter, no matter where they are located…. Think before you vote.