[Mb-civic] For the Poor, Sudden Celebrity - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

For the Poor, Sudden Celebrity

By Kevin Merida and Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, September 22, 2005; Page A01

DALLAS -- All of a sudden the poor have emerged from the shadows of 
invisibility, lifted onto a temporary pedestal by natural disaster. 
Whether it is because of guilt, pity or the nation's generosity in times 
of crisis, those who lost everything -- many of whom had little to begin 
with -- find themselves in a strange wonderland of recognition.

The destitute people sent fleeing by Katrina have been offered free 
housing, free clothing, free cars, free toys, special admission to 
universities and preferential job treatment. Athletes come to them , 
bestowing jerseys and autographs. Entertainers sing for them, and 
Bennigan's restaurants here and in Houston announced Katrina's kids 
could eat without paying for a while.
This is what it's like for the celebrity poor, a new subculture created 
by Hurricane Katrina.

Chris Lawrence, 49, who spent five days on a New Orleans overpass, is 
not sure what it all means. Mostly, he sits still in a Dallas shelter 
and reads the Bible. Describing himself as bone-tired after a life of 
working two jobs in New Orleans, he figures he's blessed just to be 
alive. The outpouring of kindness by Texans has restored his belief in 
compassion. "I had lost faith in humanity," he said.

How far this compassion should extend -- and what it should look like 
over time -- is looming as the next great social policy debate. What 
began as a response to the most devastating hurricane in the country's 
history is segueing to a grander discussion about the treatment of those 
who live on the margins. Will the Chris Lawrences now be able to improve 
their lives? Or will they return to their previous status as forgotten 
Americans with little hold on the attention or sympathies of 
politicians? And what of those already on the edge of poverty -- or 
worse -- who do not share the celebrityhood of those displaced by the 
ravaging floods of Katrina?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/21/AR2005092102396.html
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