One of my frequent lines is: He who defines the terms often wins the debate. Progressives refer to people who support abortion as “pro-choice.” Who isn’t in favor of choice? They may define people who have come to this country illegally as “undocumented workers.” Who would be against people here to work?

The other day a Los Angeles city councilman referred to drug-addicted vagrants on the streets as “our neighbors.” Heather Mac Donald expressed her concern with this rebranding. It was being used as a rhetorical device to allow homeless encampments near senior centers and libraries and around freeway overpasses.

The word neighbor conjures up all sorts of images. The assumption is that a neighbor shares the neighborhood’s interest in stability and could even be counted upon in times of need. Does this city councilman really believe these vagrants could be counted on to contribute anything to society? What contribution do they make for society? 

They don’t pay taxes. They don’t pay rent. They often contribute to the crime in an area. They leave behind everything from feces to drug paraphernalia. They usually turn down offers by city workers to find them shelter and services.

Heather Mac Donald asks a good question. Would this city councilman or his fellow DSA members “ask an encampment occupant to watch their children while they run an errand, or keep an eye on their homes while they go on vacation, as one might with an actual neighbor?”

In one sense, these people on the street are our neighbors because they live in our neighborhood. But in another sense, they aren’t acting neighborly at all. This rebranding is another attempt to confuse the issue and win the debate.