The Uncomfortable Truth About Homelessness Nobody Wants to Address

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]The problem, there's so many problems here. Homelessness is a symptom.

[00:00:05]It's not the problem.

[00:00:06]So, you're telling me you already failed Louisiana as a government to take care of your people, and now you want to arrest them for being unhoused.

[00:00:15]Make it make sense. ready. We're prepared. Do not give in to fear.

[00:00:20]We are fearless.

[00:00:22]>> [applause] >> This is not the time to be afraid. This is a time to stand up and fight back.

[00:00:29]And to resist any temptation for them to divide us.

[00:00:32]We're in this together. The rule OF LAW IS ON OUR SIDE. WE WILL NOT GIVE IN, not give up, WE WILL NOT CAPITULATE, WE WILL NOT BOW, WE WILL NOT BEND. WE WILL SURVIVE.

[00:00:48]I'M CURIOUS THIS THIS STORY. I I know some people, especially those of you who may live in LA where where folk are on the streets. If you're in certain places, I'm seeing a lot of fentanyl people lean I'm seeing a lot of people out there doing the what used to be the heroin lean.

[00:01:05]This These drugs are ridiculous. I I also think that the weed is not the same weed.

[00:01:11]Maybe I'll talk about this tomorrow, but there's a There's a story that I read. I think I'll do a wellness Wednesday where they're talking about young people now are really struggling mentally, and I I think it's tied to the marijuana. This is not the marijuana of the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s. I think there's a lot, just like our food has been messed with, I think the marijuana has been messed with.

[00:01:33]And I'm somebody that has never and will probably never I will never say never, but I have never and will probably never partake in cannabis, period.

[00:01:42]But I do believe it should be legal. If we're going to legalize alcohol, cigarettes, vaping, all that other stuff, marijuana should be legal. And the power of, you know, having cannabis dispensaries, you should be allowed to bank. I believe in all of that. Full federal banking, etc. But I don't think anybody should be taking the drugs that are out there. I just don't. And y'all could argue with me, argue with your mama, don't argue with me. I I think being of sober mind in these times, when people have uh nefarious designs, and they they're they're going to get us by any means, why give them your body?

[00:02:17]Why give them your mind? Why freely partake in something when they could just as easily slip something in there that will alter your uh reality forever. I I think we need to play defense at this point, and uh smoking and eating and drinking and all of that stuff is probably uh not going to be our best route forward. That's something we could all do. Just like I'm going to be fasting from spending in June, some of you might need to fast from the liquor, from the And I'm I'm not I'm not preaching a wagging a finger. This is not a morality play here. This is a play for our common sanity and humanity at this point, cuz I don't trust these people. But um The poor state, Louisiana, which also was the state that they used to uh roll back voting rights. Uh this is bill number House Bill number 211 has been named one of the cruelest bills in recent memory, and it has slipped through. Um The governor, Jeff Landry, supports it, and it was uh put forth by Representative Debbie Velillo Velillo the No, Villio, v i l l i o. She put it forward, and here's what the bill does.

[00:03:27]It it criminalizes homelessness.

[00:03:32]It's a it's a it's a crime bill.

[00:03:34]Uh and they're they're putting it under public camping and lodging or residing overnight in outdoor spaces. This is This This is how they're categorizing it, not designated for that use. So, anybody found public camping or lodging or residing overnight in an outdoor space will can be arrested and their first conviction will be fined $500 and impris- or imprisoned up to 6 months or both. Now, I'm thinking if a person is unhoused, imprisoning them for 6 months Mhm, at least they get food and I can I don't I don't know. I don't know. I I know how to feel about this. This is wrong because really the problem isn't unhoused. The problem is lack of services. The problem is lack of housing. The problem is is uh horrible policing. The The problem is mental health issues. The The problem is neglecting veterans. The prob- The problem There's so many problems here.

[00:04:34]Homelessness is a symptom.

[00:04:37]It's not the problem.

[00:04:38]So, you're telling me you already failed Louisiana as a government to take care of your people and now you want to arrest them for being unhoused.

[00:04:47]Make it make sense. ready. We're prepared. Do not give in to fear.

[00:04:52]We are fearless.

[00:04:55]This is not the time to be afraid. This is the time to stand up and fight back and to resist any temptation for them to divide us.

[00:05:04]We're in this together. The rule OF LAW IS ON OUR SIDE. WE WILL NOT GIVE IN, not give up, WE WILL NOT CAPITULATE, WE WILL NOT BOW, WE WILL NOT BEND, WE WILL SURVIVE.