Do You Help the Homeless??

[InfiniteNow]

There was a good special on 60 minutes last night discussing bored, socially frustrated kids in middle America beating homeless people, and this becoming a growing issue. They stated that the homeless are the last "safe" group to pick on. Previously it was blacks, then gays, now homeless. They cannot really defend themselves, won't usually go to the authorities, and are at a lower rung of social power than these distressed and misguided youths.

It made me pretty sick, but more so because of the growing frustration and sense of malaise across young America than the disgusting outcome of that frustration (although, that's pretty nausea inspiring too).

Originally Posted by From the special

Across the country, packs of teenage boys are stalking homeless people and attacking them, shooting them with paintball guns, beating them with baseball bats, even dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire. Over the last five years, at least one homeless person has been murdered each month, for no apparent reason.

[C1ay]

Originally Posted by HappytheStripper

Yup .. I help the homeless kids .. mostly teenagers when they have nowhere else to go .. its kind of liberating to help another in need ..

We have one that moved in last night. Her home is broken and she and her mother are homeless at the moment so mom's staying with a friend and Stephanie's sleeping on our couch for the near future. I am glad that we never seem to get more than one at a time though. I like helpin' 'em but I don't want to be overrun with 'em.

[Racoon]

Shaun made the front page of todays newspaper!

I'll let you read for yourself.
http://www.columbian.com/news/localN...6news67160.cfm

Shawn Jaeger, a tent mate of Douglas Damon, grieves Thursday at his friend's memorial service at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Vancouver. Damon was shot to death Oct. 1 after he pointed a realistic toy gun at a police officer. (DAVE OLSON/The Columbian)



*edit:
Here is teh frontpage link.
http://remote.columbianonline.com/remoteFiles/A1.pdf

[Michaelangelica]

Why do we have homeless people in rich countries?

America Gone Wrong: A Slashed Safety Net Turns Libraries into Homeless Shelters

By Chip Ward, Tomdispatch.com. Posted April 2, 2007.

A dirty little secret about America is that public libraries have become de facto daytime shelters for the nation's street people while librarians are increasingly our unofficial social workers for the homeless and mentally disturbed.

Ophelia sits by the fireplace and mumbles softly, smiling and gesturing at no one in particular. She gazes out the large window through the two pairs of glasses she wears, one windshield-sized pair over a smaller set perched precariously on her small nose. Perhaps four lenses help her see the invisible other she is addressing. When her "nobody there" conversation disturbs the reader seated beside her, Ophelia turns, chuckles at the woman's discomfort, and explains, "Don't mind me, I'm dead. It's okay. I've been dead for some time now."

AlterNet: America Gone Wrong: A Slashed Safety Net Turns Libraries into Homeless Shelters

[InfiniteNow]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Why do we have homeless people in rich countries?

1. People find themselves in difficult life circumstances and struggle to find adequate opportunity to get out these “ruts.”
2. People have mental issues which limit their ability to take care of themselves, and no social, family, or medical support to help make up the gap.
3. People take advantage of the system’s setup and decide after, what might be called, a cost-benefits analysis that they’d rather chance living on the street than being locked into mortgage or rent based debts.
4. Inherent is a tendency of the individual to take care of self as the highest survival based ideal, and in so doing we ignore the suffering of others.
5. The “median” ability and intelligence of the overall population is getting higher and there are some who lack the skills to keep up with the progress of those around them
6. Misguided spending by government officials (think bombs instead of potatoes, or “pork” instead of social projects)
7. Distractions from that which is “reality" allowing relief from focus on the problem. Examples of these distractions could be (and not limited to these but...) video games, drugs, religion, sports, baking, whatever…
8. Sense of being overwhelmed, and anxiety about the issue which causes a decision by the individual to avoid it.
9. Lack of training in basic civics and economics for the great majority of the population
10. Evolved sense of avoiding contagion, whereby we unconsciously avoid things we find as unhealthy or distasteful. Although this has aided in the survival of our ancestry, it is now bleeding over and causing us to see social situations such as homelessness unhealthy or distasteful so we avoid such issues like the flu (because we don't want to "catch" it ourselves).

I could go on… However, every spectrum requires two opposing sides, and socioeconomic status is a spectrum like all others… Defined by its two outermost end-points.

The good of the many outweigh the good of the few, as per Spock in the Wrath of Khan, but we’re not always logical in our approach to the world, nor are we always the ones who can make the greatest impact with our decisions. However, it is ultimately the decisions we each make as individuals which are important.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by InfiniteNow

[LIST=1][*]People find themselves in difficult life circumstances and struggle to find adequate opportunity to get out these “ruts.”

Thanks for your list.
It is very interesting

I think my "why" comes from shame rather than anything else.
I am ashamed that I/my/our society cannot look after their own.

I still have a very clear image of an old man bundled up in a city doorway on a cold night. I was attempting to get my car out of a car-park that had closed. I was preoccupied and hassled. His being there effected me in strange ways. I don't know if I can say exactly how. I felt embarrassed. I didn't know what to say to him. I was shocked. I felt guilty and strangely powerless. He asked for nothing, he just looked at me.

I have never lifted a finger to help the homeless.

To give the help of friendship, rather than money, is scary.
I don't get to the city all that often!

[ErlyRisa]

My favrite peice of charity that I gave a 'homeless' perseon....

Kid , about 20 yr old, comes up asking me for money for food -- just as I was walking into burger king....

--I say no --but if your hungry I'll get you a meal.

I let hime pick out a meal deal, and bought it for him.
I decided to eat in, considering I just came back from the footy in the city,,, one of the check out chicks that was serving came up to me and told me the guy tried to refund the the meal!!!! --

---I later saw him outside of Burger King still beging with the meal deal in his hand, unopened!!!

--> piont of the story,,, they ask for fish, give them a meal fit for a king with bread on the side! (jesus H crist, para)

--when they ask for money for any excuse... buy them the excuse, eg.
Phone -lend them the mobile (making sure they don't run off)
Food -by them a meal(the world is swamped with food, there is no excuse for saying that it is expensive)
Transport -by them the Fair.(non refundable ticket)
Alchool -ask if they would like to go to the pub WITH YOU!!!

--or, if your in a major city and know the layout, just direct them to the nearest church for help and guidance.

---Punish them: I had one guy come into my workplace asking for employment (know-ing full well I wouldn't give him any), and then asking if I could spare some change... I asked if he could clean up! --he didn't, he was apparently in a RUSH!!!

A 'blind mute' came into the workplace once, with a printed pamphlet stating that he was dumb and blind, and as collecting for some charity, --> I got a peice of paper and wrote --can I see your badge? .. he profused with hand signals, apparently that he couldn't read or something... so I punished again... I gestured that I want more of his pamphlets (to give out to other people)... I took enough to the value of $1.00, and gave him 50Cents for his trouble!! --boy did he look angry!!!!

--the best charity, is the type that doesn't require anymore!!
-eg. Flooding africa with free food don't teach the populous to fend for themselves... these guys are practically monkeys, and have no idea how to live in the world --- you need to teach them to sow thier own seeds.

[Michaelangelica]

I don't know; for sure,

But perhaps what 'they' need most is friendship.

Who of us, is brave enough to give that?

[ErlyRisa]

Well saiid Michalangelo with halo

--it's very easy to feel all gooey inside when you state over the dinner party that you have an 'apoted child in africa' ---

this smug sydrome (citing south park episode) is the greatest cuase for all poverty and maladjusted populations on this earth in the first place.... I think it would be nice to take out the board which holds these smug populations out from under thier feet.

--Stop giving, sales people and consultants jobs... some-one that does nothing all day but sell air, --is the major problem with society. (these people are in effect beggars themselves, relying on the people that actually PROVIDE tangible items for the economy)

-the venture capitalist
-the marketer
-bank, insurance brokage and insurance in itself
-the property developer, and the new soccer mom property owner.
-the salesman, profiting from others work.
-the middle manager --these guys are usually a piontless cog in the wheel of the corporate world.
-the 'specialist' ,eg. worksafety representative, the union delegate etc etc. people that don't actually do anything.
-the parking ticket officer
-the park ranger
there are plenty more... many of them have a specific complection, and can be seen from a mile away. --these people are the real beggars, starving the economy.... and they are breeding!! -the office worker breeds office children, and office friends.

--this same minority, form popular opinion, and drive 'herd mentality', especially so, because thier work environment is based on herd mentality.

--want to do something for the poor --turn the economy into a 'work based' economy -- get the useless people into hostels and soup kitchens.... use the greedy venture capilists money to fund it.

--put the beggars into one basket!!

[Boerseun]

ErlyRisa on Africans:

Originally Posted by ErlyRisa

... these guys are practically monkeys, and have no idea how to live in the world

Nice display of ignorant racism of the worst kind, ErlyRisa.

I suggest you re-read your posts before whacking the 'Submit Reply' button, and apply your brain to it.

We don't want to have to ban you, but at the end of the day, that option is open to us. Whether we do it or not, is entirely up to you, however.