Fellow travellers, a lot of people are saying that this story about Ted Williams, "the homeless man with the golden voice", is wonderfully uplifting; the first big feel good story of 2011.

But it doesn't make me feel good at all, just quite annoyed - and even a little depressed. You see, this upbeat approach relies upon many cultural assumptions that a compassionate and progressive person such as myself finds deeply suspect.

Firstly there is this idea that someone who is homeless is necessaril...
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