It's never about the issue, but about control

Homelessness was a huge issue in the 1980s but has since fallen out of vogue with many activists. It’s not because we beat homelessness, either, but because there are other, more popular issues they can make political hay out of these days.

But some activists have stuck with that issue.

Yet in New York City, where it’s a significant problem, something interesting happened.

It seems lawmakers passed a bill that would offer grants for turning unused hotels into housing for the homeless. It gives them a roof over their head and some protection from the elements, even if it’s not quite the same thing as an apartment on the Upper West Side.

It’s not going well because of New York City’s zoning laws, unfortunately, but it sounds like a viable step forward.

It seems the homelessness activists don’t like this measure, though. Why? Because it’s not the solution they wanted.

Will New York City change its zoning code? Not if “homeless advocates” like Joseph Loonam have anything to say about it.

“We didn’t want a program that cut corners to make it more palatable to developers,” Loonam told reporters. “We wanted a program that centered the needs of homeless New Yorkers, which is true high-quality, affordable housing where they can have full autonomy and dignity.”

It looks like homeless advocates just centered the people they supposedly support right out of new housing.

Now, I get that’s the goal, but why not at least take this as a first step? After all, it gives the homeless an address, a roof, protection from the heat and cold, and a base of operations from which they might be able to pull their life together.

Of course, the answer is very simple. You see, the issue is never the issue with many of these activists. The issue is about control, about forcing people to accept things on their own terms and screw the people who might benefit from even a short-term fix.

And, to be fair, we’ve seen this time and time again. Activists make demands and refuse to look at anything that doesn’t align with their specific demands. It’s just not viable, at least in their minds, to receive anything but total capitulation.

Screw the homeless or drug-addicted or teen moms or immigrants or anyone else. All that matters is that leftist activists can bully people into accepting their solutions.

Look at gun control, for another example.

In the wake of Uvalde, gun rights advocates are being told we have blood on our hands. “It’s been 10 years since Sandy Hook and you’ve done nothing!” they scream.

Yet I remember talking about the need to harden our schools in the wake of Parkland. That was shouted down by the left as not a real solution.

If we’d done it, though, it’s probable that the Uvalde shooter would never have gained access into the school and 21 innocent people would be alive right now.

But it wasn’t the solution they wanted, so it wasn’t even allowed to be discussed.

Just remember that whenever a left-leaning activist tries to tell you they want a solution, they’re generally lying. What they want is their solution crammed down your throat.