HOBOPHOBIA: THE POLITICS OF FEAR documents a story
that embodies a universal truth about the human condition,
using what happened in one city that was once a railroad town
as an example: Roseville, California. For over a century, the
community held a deeply rooted cultural dislike and fear of
homeless people, known as "hobophobia."
The book also describes the united efforts of local advocates who
provided needed food, shelter, clothing, medical care and moral support.
These programs were met with repeated forays by city
government to stop them over the next twenty-plus years.
That did not deter those seeking change who incrementally
implemented new services until all were in place by the early
years of the new millennium, curtailing the influence of
hobophobia and bringing improved safety and well-being to
the community.
The lesson learned is that politics as a reactive discipline
cannot prevail against the proactive determination of private
citizens who possess the will to effect change for the greater good.
