Jordan McClements is a painter and writer from Dover, whose art depicts the overdose/unsheltered crisis. His works are on display at the Dover Art League and at Studio B Milford.
You don’t feel dread until you hit a red light down the highway, any of them. There’s the American in the wheelchair, the American falling over his sign. Sometimes, they have drinks. Occasionally, they have bookbags. That American causes dread at the start of your morning, your afternoon and your evening.
Be honest. We’re enraged. We’re in terror. We don’t know what to do.
Do you have shoes?
You’re lucky. Craig Richards’ shoes were stolen from him when he froze to death by the Duncan Center last December. You think I forgot about Craig Richards? Our system allowed Craig Richards to freeze to death before he got help, then someone stole Craig Richards’ shoes because he or she needed shoes in America, during the winter. That’s the picture of the services we provide our neighbors.
American politicians have said Craig Richards’ name before the Delaware General Assembly twice. We lost our neighbor, Craig Richards, because of our neglect. We lost our neighbor, our community member, and we’ve done nothing about it. Shame on us, America. We’ve got to think about that American we lost in our lives.
Why are we indifferent?
Maybe we’re not. We just don’t know how to express it. We’re disgusted. We feel anguish. We are ravished. We’ve become torn. We do everything we can. It’s not enough.
Who are we, without drugs, America?
Our overdose/unsheltered story is a human story, America. The more we share our human stories, the more we help each other.
Let’s share our stories and help each other, America.
We’ve got to look out for our kids and our neighbors, who make up our nation, America. This conversation is bigger than you and me and politicians. This is about the future. This is about me being a father someday and an uncle right now. This is about your children, your nieces and nephews. We must fix our system for them. We’ve got to show them that we can fix the mess we have created in our homes and streets. We’ve got to show our children how to treat Americans. We must take care of our neighbors. We have got to hold ourselves accountable. Contribute to the conversation by joining the movement. We’re all affected by overdoses/being unsheltered. We must do this for our community.
That’s not just someone’s loved one we pass by. That’s an American, with a story, a past, loved ones lost and dead, and romances like yours. Human, just like you. Beautiful and tragic, just like you, reader. But we’ve got to show our true heart, America. We’re better than this. That American you see on the side of the road, falling over on the highway, that American isn’t who you can be. That American is you that you’re passing by. You know the older woman, the military men, the couple — you pass them countless times on the way to get your gas, cigarettes and breakfast. They’re hungry like you. I used to be one of them. I’m still hungry. I’m hungry to make sure that what happened to me, my cousin, my uncle, my family and everyone who has ever loved me or cared about me doesn’t happen to you or your loved ones.
Picture it: That American you passed on the way to work this morning is your loved one.
Now, would you have kept going?
We certainly don’t stop, regardless, America. Let me remind you, reader, that no one wants to ask for change on the side of the highway as his or her means of survival. I have known Americans who have held a sign for addiction, and I’ve known Americans who do it because they are unsheltered. Recognize that the overdose/unsheltered crisis we pass on the side of the road is our mirror, America. That American you pass is you.
How do I know?
It was me. I had to look at our American overdose/unsheltered crisis and change.
Like you must change, loved one.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
