BC Cook
MANY people think of Hawaii as one of the nicest spots on Earth. I am one of those people. Thanks to the lush Pacific winds and currents, the temperatures in Hawaii fall into my sweet spot. Add to that the rich vegetation, friendly people and abundant food and services, and I get why so many people dream of living in Hawaii someday.
Hawaii is not just the retirement daydream of wealthy Americans, however. Another group of people calls these islands home, or should I say not home. Hawaii is stocked with homeless people. They can be found primarily on Oahu and primarily on the streets of Honolulu. Under nearly every bridge and in many back alleys, one can see tents, tarps, and boxes that form a city within a city.
Having spoken with many of the homeless in Hawaii, I have a little understanding of what is going on. First off, they are friendlier than homeless people I meet nearly everywhere else. They are not ashamed of their lifestyle, there is no stigma attached to it. In fact, most of them say they are homeless by choice. Few of them beg for handouts, so they are not a constant source of irritation for pedestrians or police. Recently my wife was about to walk under a bridge when she saw a homeless man with a dog. When he saw her hesitate, he apologized and took the dog out so she could pass through unmolested. Nice guy.
Honolulu is a very liberal city, so government services for the homeless abound. There are shelters, food banks, low-income housing, soup kitchens and the like, yet many of the homeless I speak to do not take advantage of these things. The homeless can be fiercely independent and do not want to be a burden on society. Others use these services, of course.
I thought about what I would do if I found myself homeless. Where would I live given the choice? I think I would choose Hawaii. Why live on the streets of Anchorage or New York when I could live here? The weather alone is worth it. I also think I would take advantage of the services provided for the homeless. If they offer housing to me, why not take it?
Jesus once said that the poor will always be with us. What he meant is that the conditions that lead to poverty will not be solved to the point that everyone has abundance. Add the fact that some choose this life, as hard as that is to comprehend sometimes, and I think Jesus was right.
Some homeless people have mental or physical disabilities. Some are drug users. Some are veterans without prospects, some are criminals. But not all are. In my experience, the homeless defy easy labels. Instead of painting with a large brush, I have learned to take the homeless one at a time.
BC Cook, PhD, taught history for 30 years and is a director and Pacific historian at Sealark Exploration (sealarkexploration.org).
