My friend Uri is completely f&cked

[EFerrari]

He's a 6 foot 8 tranny and has some mental health thing going and is involved with drugs.

Tonight, I went across the street and s/he was dancing on the street quietly in his undershorts listening to a walkman while s/he was doing the little laundry he has at the Laundromat.

No one is on his side, even in this town. He has no team besides me and my friend at the grocery store who fronts him food and cigarettes.

This is a beautiful young black man with a gentle soul and f&ck me if I can figure out how s/he fell through the cracks.

Are they "cracks" when so many people get left behind? Wouldn't that make them fucking CHASMS? I WILL NEVER BE OKAY WITH THIS.

:nuke:

edit: Uri can't be 25.

:nuke:

[Horse with no Name]

1. I'm sorry.

You are correct about the terminology. They AREN'T even cracks or chasms...they are fricking CANYONS.
Thank you for being there for him. You are truly an army of one.:hug:

[EFerrari]

3. I don't understand why, WHY, this is even possible.

:cry:

:hug:

[Cabcere]

2. Hugs & good vibes to you and your friend.

:hug: I don't know what to say, other than I'll be thinking of you both, and I hope things get better. :grouphug: Peace.

[EFerrari]

4. You know, we need to start looking out for ourselves.

Because anyone of our kids could be Uri. We have to stand up against this kind of negligence.

My dear Uri, with perfect manners, and treatable illness, and no one that cares. How is that possible?

We have billions for cluster bombs to rain all over Lebanon but nothing for Uri.

What the Cheney is the MATTER with this country.

[Cabcere]

12. I know...there are a lot of things wrong with the world.

However, your friend Uri is not completely alone - s/he has you, and that's got to count for something. :) I'm not saying that's all that is needed - far from it - but sometimes, just having one good friend can mean the difference between life and death. Sometimes, that one friend provides all you need to keep hanging on, and it sounds like you're doing that for Uri. There are a lot of things that are f*cked up with this country (and with the world in general today), and it seems totally overwhelming at times...but I think that as long as we don't give up, as long as we keep on caring (sometimes so much it hurts) for our fellow human beings, then there is still hope. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even within our lifetimes, but I believe that we have to keep hoping and praying and pushing for action - trying to accomplish what little we can while we're here. (I know that probably doesn't help much, but it's about all I have to offer - my hope and prayers for people like Uri, now and in the future.) :hug:

[EFerrari]

15. Thank you. That's a great deal.

:hug:

[Cerridwen]

5. .

:hug: for you and :hug: for Uri and :grouphug: for all of us cuz I can't think of a f&cking thing to do. Uri has 4 strikes against him/her - drugs, mental illness, black and transsexual. I can't think of where to start.

And more :hug: and :grouphug:

edit: 5 - gentle soul; that's a "handicap" in today's "macho world"

[EFerrari]

8. I'm sorry to be so hysterical but, he's so young and so lovely

and so accessible. Geezus, even me with my few blunt tools can reach him. Imagine what a public policy could do.

It's a crime, that's all. Unless someone finds a reason to put Uri behind bars, which is how we usually settle these little problems.

:nuke:

[Cerridwen]

11. No apology necessary, really, honestly.

I completely understand your frustration and "hysteria".

We live in one of the most democratically restrictive countries I can think of. We do not take care of our own unless they have something to "contribute" to society. It's painful, it's criminal and it's one of the most horrific things I can think to deal with.

I have a lot of suggestions and I know a lot of platitudes which I bet you've already thought of so I won't insult you with platitudes and worthless suggestions.

Throwing things at a wall has been known to work for me. Not productive but a good stress reliever. Beyond that:

many, many :hug: :hug::hug::hug::hug::hug::hug::hug:

[EFerrari]

14. Thank you! Much appreciated.

So little I can do.

Now, to find a wall that won't disturb my neighbors when I let loose . . . :)

[Cerridwen]

19. Eek! Use a nerf ball!

I just realized and was remembering all the things I've broken over the years; tv remotes, glasses, plates, clip-boards (don't ask).

Nerfs are silent but efficient.

And while I'm here:

:hug:

[Wiley50]

6. S/He is very lucky to live in the bay area

In Tn, a 6'8" tranny dancing in the street in their undershorts wouldn't last 5 minutes
and would be damned lucky if the cops got him before some redneck shot him.

Not judging. Just saying.

It's a different world out there

God, I wish I had some way to haul my boat out there and get set up!

$900 a month SSI and marijuana dispensaries

Heaven for me

[EFerrari]

10. I don't think Uri is well enough to cash in.

But he could be -- if we could get the tech from UCSF delivered one half a mile away.

And it's not $900 -- Doug got under $300.

LOL, they have a subtracting formula.

Be well, friend.

[salin]

17. While it may be an 'accepting' community...

unless things have changed in the last eight years - rents are huge. I would guess that living on the margin would be extremely hazardous. I lived in EPA while rent controls existed (and a year after it was murder capital per capita of the country - a pocket of extreme poverty in the dotcom wealthy penninsula in the mid to late nineties) and even there - with a murder in front of the complex - the rents ran $700 a month for a one bedroom. Before I left rent control ended -and development moved in. I have no idea where my former neighbors might have been able to relocate to. I lived there while in grad school but for most of my nieghbors it was hard scrabble living (as was mine - albeit temporarily per the grad school thing) with little end in sight. Frankly it is one of the reasons I left the Bay Area - I work in the nonprofit world, and knew that at some point I needed to have enough more income than basic living expenses to be able to begin saving for emergencies/retirement.

Prayers for Uri. Sadly, the cracks are way wide these days.

[EFerrari]

18. Please cross something for him, salin.

And for all of us, I guess.

He just breaks my heart. He's too young to be marked for death.

cR@p.

[salin]

22. Consider it done.

When I worked with youth in Detroit (before I moved to the Bay Area) I lost a number of kids. I was in my mid twenties and came to the awareness that some of the kids I worked with would never reach my age. That realization shocked me to my core. How often do you look into a small group of 14-17 year olds and grapple with the idea that several of them - and who knows which ones - will not make it to 25. This was in the height of a gang war and the crack epidemic - but that onset of the realization and the profound sadness has stayed with me for years. Heck within the first month I worked with the kids, one's father was murdered by his girlfriend's brother. It seemed shocking. Sadly it was just foreshadowing for the many tragic situations (both our kids and their families) that I crossed path with in three short years.

I pray that your young friend Uri finds his way through this and leads a long and healthy life.

[EFerrari]

23. So, you do really know.

I'm going to fight this sh!t.

And thank you.

Beth

[salin]

24. I do

and I weep. Bless you for your care and direct effots to help Uri and others. :hug:

[Wiley50]

20. Doug Had A Significant Other (You) bringing in income

In my case I'm alone

What I would do in buy one month marina rent and show the reciept

Then I'd head upriver and anchor out, Moving every few days.

I've got a generator. I'd still need to find a state park or something
to pull in every few days to take a shower and take in water.

I'm very good at living at subsistance level as long as I have my boat to live in.

and $900+ is MUCH better than $623

But I'd spend the extra for medical ganja at the prices I've seen on the net.

But, at least, I'd be able to get it
which I can't now

Don't we have any compassionate DU growers
to send me a Care package now and then?

[EFerrari]

21. I can't go there but maybe someone can.

:smoke:

/oops

[karlrschneider]

7. The awful thing is, he might never actually be 25.

I have absolutely no clue how to help him or to help you help him (her?)...if you can just be a friend, it might be the best he can hope for, unfortunately.
:grr:

[EFerrari]

9. Karl, I've let go of him. When I see him, I just try to do what is

necessary.

And, this in a city where the mayor ran on fixing the "homeless" problem. Well, I'd like one of those PR mofos to come out here to my 'hood, and FIX THIS.



:nuke:

[karlrschneider]

13. I absolutely understand. There's only so much you or I can do by ourselves.

Many (30?) years ago, some friends and I had a similar encounter up in Tulsa. We spent most of the night trying to get some help for a homeless person (a little different situation but you'll get the point)...we even went to the Police Station where I knew a lot of people as I'd worked my way through college as a cop there. It's a much longer story but just confirms that there isn't much compassion for a sizable minority of our fellow citizens.
ks

[EFerrari]

16. We just have to hang onto each other, somehow.

That's what it boils down to.

I don't know Gavin Newsom although I've met him. But, he's doing nothing for our people and that's too bad.

This situation isn't going away. We need a plan.

:hug:

[bobbolink]

25. kick for Uri

:cry:

[MagickMuffin]

26. Unfortunately, this happened because (drum-roll) Mad king Boy George

used his office to remove ALL government assisted programs and instead gave the money to churches as part of his Conservative Compassionate Scam, which they preselect the churches to determine who gets the money.

Well, do you think if these churches are hard right do you think they would have compassion for Uri?
My guess would be not only NO but a big fat HELL NO.
Just like what is happening with doctors refusing to administrator medical aid to people who do not meet their religofascist ideology.

Good luck to you and Uri. I don't know how to help other than offer words of support. If you know anyone in SF that is associated with Food Not Bombs, they might be able to help with food. Also I don't know what shelters are like in SF, but that is another option.:shrug:

I hope you can continue to offer Uri your friendship.:hug: