This is a response on the introduction of Someplace Like America: Tales From the New Great Depression by Dale Maharidge with photographs by Michael S. Williamson, which also includes a forward by Bruce Springsteen. You can find out more about the book here.
I was interested in this piece from the start just because I have recently (in the past two years) been “won over” by Bruce Springsteen. I grew up with my dad playing his songs, and although I don’t quite dig them myself, I can respect his talent and career easily. He is a good voice for America. Two years ago, or it might have been three, I saw a little bit of his performance at Bonnaroo, a music festival in Tennessee. He knew how to talk to the crowd and I was impressed with his stage presence, he’s a very likable guy.
The introduction was gripping from the start, talking about the death of a homeless person in Santa Barbara and how warnings were posted around the area threatening other homeless people. That sounds awful. I can’t imagine wanting to hurt people that are already enduring such hard lives, just let them be. It turns out this was a local resident who posted these fliers and was unrelated to the actual murder. It’s sad what people will do in certain situations for their own (opinionated) beliefs.
