What Are Your Thoughts On The Homeless?

[hayley]

I was looking at the front page article on the newspaper this morning, about a 61 year old man who had been living on the Wellington streets (where I live) for over 20 years. There was a huge picture of him trudging down a busy street in the pouring rain. He had lived in a bush/park with a newspaper bed just a few blocks away from Wellington. On Monday morning at 9am, he feel into a gutter on his knees, and died. He asked a woman who was parking her car to call an ambulance, and she covered him up with a blanket at which he replyed, "Thank you, thank you very much." He then died just before the ambulance arrived.

Apparently he was a very sweet man, with afew stories that brought tears to my eyes. One time he returned a woman's handbag to the police station after she was robbed, and he went to some social place asking if he could please have a sock, he was offered a pair, but said, "No thank you, the other one is perfectly okay." I mean God, that is so sad! He was also offered help to be taken to a doctor and to be put into a nice home with everything he needed, but he kindly refused, saying that this is what he wanted, he wanted to live on the streets.

So yeah I just thought i'd share that with you, that defenitly touched me, he sounded like a wonderful man and it was very sad to read that he had passed away.

What are your thoughts on the homeless? Do you think it's sad that they are living like this, or do you really don't care, it's none of your buisness anyway? Just wondering, this might be a interesting topic. And please share any experiances that you have had or seen do to with the homeless, please.

I wish there was something I could do to help all the homeless out there, because I'm sure they all are sweet people inside, but just what doesn't make sence to me, is that why do they choose to live like that? I mean people offer for them to have a good home, good health, yet they refuse. It's so sad.

[Bridge of Clay]

Generally, homeless are:

-people who got addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and lost everything due it, including family
-people who can have a home but don´t want to
-migrants/immigrants who thought they would find a easier life and althought they didn´t, they aren´t willing to go back to their home lands
-lazy ones who go to the street coz they don´t wanna work hard
-good and decent poor people who need a second chance but don´t get an opportunity

oh, yeah! don´t get shocked with what I´m saying. Belive me, I know about this topic!

Anyway, work, home, education and health should be provided only to the last category of the above.

[hotforscott]

I don't feel they should be judged at all. Yes, there are the occassional people who take advantage of how much money they can make holding up HOMELESS signs, but that doesn't mean that there aren't people who really are homeless and need money.
There are people who take advantage of the welfare system, too, but that doesn't mean there aren't people who don't abuse it accepting assistance as well.
I think that there are a lot of homeless people who may have put themselves in that situation, but on the other hand I think there are many that cannot help it. I know if my husband took the kids and went to the park one day so I could clean the house or something, just to give me a break and a drunk driver hit them and killed my entire family. I wouldn't be able to work, I wouldn't be able to think rationally, therefore my bills could end up late, they could repo my car and I could be put out on the street. You never know, so you should never judge.

[Dogstar]

Excellent points, Carrie. The homeless situation is a tricky one. Some of it is due to mental illness, some of it to other circumstances people can't control. I try not to judge, because there but for the grace of God go I. I just fear for their safety and well-being when I see them in the cold or sweating in the heat. I have offered food to homeless folks, rather than money. Sometimes they refuse because they'd rather have the money, but that's OK. Others have taken the food .

[hotforscott]

I know what you mean. I have given food and money before. Especially when I see the ones with the kids, it just breaks my heart. I always help when I can.
I know at Papa Johns Pizza they have people called couponers that get paid minimum wage and they walk door to door to peoples houses, apartments, etc. and hang up coupons to gather business. There have been several people Daniel has hired to do that job that were homeless and now are not. Atleast 2-3 since we have been married. I think that is great. It's helped them get back on their feet and they were willing to accept the help. Plus they now hold other positions in the store. Some even manage stores making decent money.

[Xterminator27]

on my way home from school i saw a homeless kid in his mid-20s jump up on teh school bus infront of myn and stick his head in teh window. he said somethen then he walked down undid his fly and thankfully i turn my head away cuz i didnt wanna watch that.

But then some OTHER homeless guy who was older walked up to hm and started sayen stuff.

Anyways who knows. like veryone said. there normal people, some are good some are bad. i give money to em al the time and yhea

[hayley]

Wow, that's awesome that they are back on their feet, hotforscott and that they have a new life, that's great.

I hardly ever see any around Wellington, but where I used to live in NZ, there were quite afew. I remember this one guy, he was about in his 20's, 30's, and he lived outside of a Pub, in a cardboard box with this blanket. His house was like this big step around the back of the Pub, and I was always scared to go around there because he would probably be there and I just remembered him being dirty and stuff, I didn't like the look of him.

I try not to judge either Dogstar, I mean sometimes it is hard, you can kinda tell what ones will be bastards and what ones will be sweeties, but it is hard. It's just so sad.

I never have food on me, but if I saw one and I did I would defenitly give them some, maybe even all of it, if it makes them happy.

And yes Dogstar like you said, that's very true, some of it is due to mental illness, that's why it is so sad I think. But some people are fine, and they still do it...I don't know it is pretty confusing, it's just sad that they have to live like that, or should I say that they choose to live like that. Why can't they just accepct that someone is being extremly nice to them and offering them a nice house, warm food, proper bedding, and a new life? Hmmmm....

Thanks for your input, guys. :P

[hayley]

Quote:

Originally posted by Xterminator27
on my way home from school i saw a homeless kid in his mid-20s jump up on teh school bus infront of myn and stick his head in teh window. he said somethen then he walked down undid his fly and thankfully i turn my head away cuz i didnt wanna watch that.

Anyways who knows. like veryone said. there normal people, some are good some are bad. i give money to em al the time and yhea

Ew...behaviour like that just makes people judge homeless people even more, I mean that's pretty disgusting, but I still feel sorry for that guy.

Good on your for giving money to them.

[Sheila63]

Carrie, you and Dogstar made some valid points and I agree with both of you. I love your point about "there but for the grace of God go I" too, Dogstar. The reality is that a lot of us are living paycheck to paycheck or are just a few paychecks away from the possibility of being out on the streets ourselves. But I also agree that some people abuse the system too.

As for why some homeless people don't take the help when it's offered to them, I'm not sure Hayley. Maybe it's fear because at least their circumstances are familiar, it's what they know or maybe because change itself can be scary. I don't really know.

Carrie, I think that's wonderful that Daniel helped those people out by giving them a job.

[hayley]

Yeah, change. That could be a big issue.

btw, god I love your avie!!!

[Sheila63]

Thanks, Hayley! You've gotta love that smile!

[hayley]

I know, it's gorgeous!!! Mmmmmm

[JenRN]

I agree with Dogstar and Carrie. Really 80% of the homeless people out there have sever mental illness of some sort, whether it be post traumatic stress disorder from war or crime, bipolar, depression or whatever. I try not to judge people like that, you never know what could happen to you! There have been times I have been in DC etc.. and homless people ask for money, I really don't like to give them money I would rather buy them food. Becasue I know damn well they are going to use the money for booze or drugs! So sometimes I have gone into McDonald's or whatever and bought like $15.00 worth of food for them! There are all kinds of reasons people end up on the streets, I just try to treat people like I want to be treated!

[souldancer]

Quote:

Originally posted by JenRN
I, I just try to treat people like I want to be treated!

Beautiful compassion spoken in this thread for understanding the range of reasons and the fragility of how easily this could happen...especially in this day and age with cost of housing and lack of extended families. Glad you included the biggie of mental illlness as a factor! And, that goes for so many veterans out there. It's a complicated issue, sure there are those who may have chosen that path...When I see a homeless person I try to imagine that that is someone's son or daughter. It's not difficult to see how it might happen...the sad part is to consider why.

[Higher_Desire]

I think they do need help, but what should be done is to have the government build housing and collective farm type things for them like they did after the Great Depression.

What sucks is that they can't get a job (income) because they don't have an address, but they can't get a home (address) without an income.


H-D