Monthly Journalism Award
The Washington Monthly Journalism Award for September 1993 is presented to Pete Hamill New York "New Yorkers," Hamill writes, "don't want to hear about the homeless anymore." He may be right,...
...NW, Washington, D.C...
...20009...
...drug and alcohol addicts would be detoxed...
...The subject can be government in its federal, state, or municipal manifestation...
...Two copies of the article or broadcast text should accompany the nomination...
...Once we begin to see this as a public health problem, Hamill argues, we can justify a tough but alluring solution: turn closed military bases into quarantined barracks for a year-long homeless rehabilitation project...
...And Hamill advances the decade-old debate by pointing out that the homeless are disproportionately sick with contagious diseases, especially AIDS and tuberculosis...
...He may be right, but Hamill powerfully recounts the basic truth about the problem: Homelessness is less a result of a lack of housing than an unfortunate concentration of the mentally ill and drug addicted on the street...
...Those with an institutional history would be sent back to institutions...
...Please send nominations to Monthly Journalism Award, 1611 Connecticut Ave...
...job training, physical rehabilitation, and a boot camp atmosphere would impose order on disordered lives...
...The winner will be announced in the April issue...
...Not a perfect plan, Hamill admits, but a start: "The homeless would be off the streets...
...Nominations for any newspaper, magazine, radio or television station in the country are welcome...
...Nominations for stories published or aired in December will close January 15...
...that alone would give some hope to the disheartened middle class by showing that the government is capable of doing something...
...The Monthly Journalism Award is presented each month to the best newspaper, magazine, television, or radio story (or series of stories) on our political system...
Vol. 25 • January 1993 • No. 12
