Eric Sheptock is fast-becoming America's next social justice celebrity. An unemployed, recovering crack cocaine addict with an aggressive social media presence, he is likely the only homeless man in America to receive email alerts on press mentions of his name, for which this will no doubt register.
Sheptock, whose presence on Twitter and Facebook has attracted upwards of 5,500 supporters, refuses to accept any job that might interfere with his online advocacy. He has fans, after all, and they like him, they really like him.
The subject of a recent Washington Post profile, Sheptock fancies himself a portal into an otherwise silent, underserved community. Recently, he delivered an urgent call to action to his online supporters: "Demand the city of Gainesville, Florida, to feed all who are hungry."
"Socialism isn't a bad word," another Sheptock vignette reads.
Be sure to peruse the reaction from HuffPo commenters, who indignantly rush to Sheptock's defense, pillorying author James Richardson for even writing the piece. Apparently, he's scheming "to make the well-off suspicious of the destitute," or something.