“symbiotic relationship” by community ecologists.nIt is the “critical mass” concept. Already there are peoplenbarely hanging on, as I pointed out earlier—but they arenhanging on. With the establishment of street services, socialnfusion would occur, pulling the weakest loose from thenfabric of the community onto the pavement. The stage is setnfor growth of the street persons to the limit imposed bynthe community. The greater the services, the larger thennumber.nAs reliable firsthand information about the Streetniksnaccumulates, it becomes clear that there are at least threenmain groups of people on the street. Two of these groupsncannot be helped and prevent well-intentioned but poorlynaimed aid from reaching the remaining group, which is thenonly one likely to be positively influenced by the sort of helpnoffered them.nThe most pressing priority is to identify and remove thenseriously mentally ill to settings where they can receive help.nThis should be easy to accomplish both physically andnfinancially. Many of these unfortunate people in Nashvillenare already sleeping in a bona fide mental hospital. As part ofnthe effort to get them off the streets in freezing weather, anproject named “Emergency Shelter Plan” buses them tonvarious places in really cold weather (20 degrees Fahrenheit),none of these shelters being the Middle TennesseenMental Health Center (the old Central State), where, in allnprobability, some of these nightly visitors once stayed innwarm surroundings around the clock.nNext the alcoholics. We have been keeping close watchnon this group for many reasons for 30 or more years. Thenjury is in: not many get well. Period. With the best of carenand support the odds are stacked against them. Out of everyn35 alcoholics one gets well, the other 34 “just simply die.”nCheck the records of A, the Koala Centers, or the CarenUnits. The results of a $10,000 private treatment are notnencouraging.nAttentive companies have commenced employee assistancenprograms which offer help to their employees withndrinking problems, providing they sober up. Otherwise, theynare told to look for other work. Also, there are AA and NA.nSome concerned employers (and wives) require proof ofnregular attendance. The Mission has a rehabilitation unitnout in the country which can usually take anyone who isnserious about sobering — and straightening — up. Therenwas detox and alcoholic commitment—which helped morenthan is usually realized. And there is Antabuse.nWe are now left with the remaining unfortunate streetnpeople — the homeless and the hungry who, through clearsightednenergetic policy, may be helped to better theirncondition. I was never asked to do anything I did not wantnon the streets. Of all the places I ate, I was never asked tonbow my head; only once was I asked to take off my cap. I wasnnot expected to clean up my mess — indeed, volunteers,nprime examples of self-discipline and responsibility, arenrecruited from the community to do the dirty work. In thenfood line at the Sally I once intentionally smashed styrofoamncups and threw the pieces on the street as a kindly lookingnold gentleman stooped over with a Tufly bag picking up thentrash left by the men. He saw me, saw what I was doing,nbent over, picked up the pieces, put them in his plastic bag,nhalf rose, looked up at me and smiled. Then he went onndown the line.nPolicymakers and planners took sociology and psychologynin college. Many of them are specialists with advancedndegrees in the social sciences. You would never know it byncomparing their proclaimed goals with their arrangementsnand implementation of their programs. It appears that then22 recommendations listed as part of the request for then$3.9 million for aid to the homeless in Tennessee will havennegligible impact on those already on the street and will, ifnpast evidence of similar programs is indicative of the future,nonly increase the numbers able to survive on the streets.nThe major result will be to enlarge the bureaucracy caringnfor Streetniks and to institutionalize the present patterns.nWe are well on the way to creating an enduringnunderclass in America for the first time in our history. Bothnthe lower class and the larger society have in the past sharednthe same goals and values, generally speaking, even thoughnthe lower class was increasingly allowed to give them lipnservice only. An underclass of three million homeless, withnvalues in opposition to the larger society, can create majornproblems for communities, since it is impossible both tonremove and to accept.nThere is a compassion that ennobles and motivates.nMembers of Alcoholics Anonymous call this “tough love.”nAnd then there is a compassion that smothers and stifles. Innmy opinion, based on my investigations and my observationsnand my readings, the current policy we are applying to thenhomeless at great expense — producing much misery andnviolence to boot—is smothering compassion. Mercifully,nhowever, someone’s report on this subject did end with thisnobservation: “Sometimes the absolute worst thing we can donfor the truly needy is to amply aid those who are obviouslynnot.”nIn the forthcoming issue of Chronicles:nTime and the Spiritn”Bell: People think of the story of the Garden of Eden asna tragedy. You’re saying it isn’t?nLytle: It’s not a tragedy, it’s just the beginning of life. Innthe beginning of life you have comedy and tragedyntoo. But it seems to me you cannot fall from innocence,nno way to. You quicken into living, and younfall into, you enter, the wilderness of time.”nnn— from “Andrew Lytle Talks WithnMadison Smartt Bell”nAUGUST 1988 / 13n