Dr. James Dobson profits from his image as a great Christian leader. His campus of enterprises in Colorado Springs is one of the largest businesses in the city.
But this does not compute: Colorado Springs has several hundred people homeless in the city, with no place to sleep but public parks and other public places. There are more homeless than there are facilities to help them.
Colorado Springs officials consider a law to make it illegal to “camp” in a public place inside the city. One person died from the cold recently. Whole families are camping in some places. [Good news before I hit the “send” button: Colorado Springs decided to shelve action on the ordinance now, and work to find solutions instead, until February.]
Colorado Springs Salvation Army officials have a shelter, but it can’t handle the homeless population.
Robert Moran, an advocate for the homeless, said the city this year has been doing a “great job” showing compassion toward homeless people. Among the examples is the Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team, he said. But the proposed no-camping law would take those efforts in a “completely opposite” direction, Moran said.
“It would be criminalizing homelessness,” he said. “People have the right to survive, and people that are homeless are part of our community as much as anybody else.”
The Salvation Army’s shelter only has 220 beds, he said.
“We have more people than that living in tents in the Springs,” he said.
James Dobson, you with that big campus of buildings: What do you think Jesus would do in this situation?
Focus on the Family's visitor center in Colorado Springs - photo by David Shankbone - Wikimedia image
Why are there hungry and homeless families freezing to death in the city where James Dobson has lots of space? What about the other national religious organizations?
Other information:
Help in Colorado Springs
- City homeless program, Continuum of Care
- Colorado House
- Springs Rescue Mission
- Salvation Army, Colorado Springs
Other news
- Colorado Independent story on the homeless sweeps of 2008
- CBS – 4 news story on homeless man being found dead, December 1, 2009
- News 13 (ABC Channel 13) story on rise of homeless in tents, December 7, 2009
- Newsbusters complains that Obama doesn’t get enough blame for homeless in James Dobson’s backyard
- WND plays politics instead of helping the homeless [How much do you think WND paid for that fancy sign, instead of contributing to the Colorado Springs Salvation Army?] [We already have from the sign make the confession that it wasn’t paid for by the homeless:
KRDO got its first clue when Spencer Swann of Colorado Canyon Signs confessed to constructing the sign, though he denied it was his idea and still refuses to divulge for whom he built it. He did, however, explain that there was more to the sign’s intent than criticizing the sitting president:
“You mention his name, you get some attention – I think that was the whole idea behind it,” Swann told KRDO. “I didn’t dream it up, but I thought it was a good idea. I thought that it would help some of these guys down here.”]
- Gazette editorial commentary noting Colorado Springs is actually a very charitable city.
Somebody’s knockin’; let ’em in:
Posted by Ed Darrell 
