by minimus 89 Replies latest jw friends
Whenever I see a homeless person my heart aches. Yes, I know a lot of them are winos or druggies. I also know there are programs they could take advantage of to get of the street. But so many of them are mentally or otherwise unable to make good choices.
Though I never stop to help them (out of fear mostly) I always feel awful when I see them (and rv makes fun of me). I wish Society could devise a way to really deal with this problem.
changeling
hey keyser...but you still manage to squeeze one out
What I find despicable is that our society in fact encourages such ones. By continuing to hand them food stamps and welfare, we in fact reward them for doing nothing but watching TV all day. Were they forced to get up and work (assuming they are capable of working), the majority would have no problem finding a job or making one.
Perhaps you should be glad that society hands them food stamps and welfare? Think of what would happen if we didn't.
Do you really think that street bum wouldn't put a knife in your gut and rob you if he was hungry enough (or crashing hard off the dope)? Hell, the guy would eat your kid if things got bad enough. Think of the food stamps and welfare as bribery. And be happy that that is all it takes to prevent a class war.
Yanno, there are worse things in life than helping out a homeless person....
let's all do something mad and ask homeless people if they have any spare change
I do that sometimes--if I'm in the mood to mess with somebody....
I pity them, but can't help them. Giving them money doesn't work - giving money to local organizations which actually help the situation is the way to go.
I had a scary experience once - I was waiting for the trolley in downtown San Diego years ago - later in the evening when most people had already gone home. I was alone and felt vulnerable with all the homeless people around. The scariest one came up to me and shoved this stoned girl toward me and said "she hasn't eaten anything in a long time. Buy her some food." I was startled but said OK and we went into Arby's - he took off which surprised me too. I bought her some food, but she was too stoned to eat. I offered to call her family or a local shelter if she wanted me to, but she just wanted to be left alone. So, I left her alone with her food and a couple of bucks for a phone call and caught the trolley home. I have never forgotten that.
I'm fascinated with them. Sometimes I feel like chucking it all trowing a tent on an all terrain bike and folowing the sun. I work in a jail and see a lot of bums. Many are alcoholics and get arrested to dry out and get some food. Or they just plain get arrested because society finds them a nusiance. Many are mental patients wandering the streets since Ronald Regan, or wandering the streets because of him. There is a veterans hospital here in Pinellas county, Bay Pines, and that seems to attract them. Florida gets an influx when the cold wheather hits and the citys seem to have soup kitchens and free clinics to attract them. Or maybe the soup kitchens and free clinics are for the resident down on their luckers and the "bums" take advantage. I say but for the grace of God there go I.
Whenever I give money to one, I make them promise they wont spend it on food.
I hate people with no idea, sharing their opinions on homeless people, thinking somehow their experiences in life give them an insight into the minds and inner workings of everyone else.
Me and my mum were living in homeless accomodation, we had nothing - no TV or anything, the place smelt bad and it was communal showers but did we revel in this? did we feel proud of ourselves? NO.
So when you think of homeless people, try considering people with depression, with no good luck, nowhere to go - for example crumpet herself tonight a respected member of this community said how she would of ended up homeless if she hadnt of quickly got a grip on her situation.
THINK before you Speak.
This is no laughing matter. Many homeless persons have gone through hard times. There are all kinds of homeless for various reasons that we may not be aware of. Some may have fought in wars,some may have suffered through a trajic death experience, others may have been abused, some have a mental condition, some are alcoholics. How they ended up becoming homeless is a story that we are not aware of. There may very well be many broken hearts out there.
Then there are some who may be able to work but have given up on themselves, why? That's another story.
To answer your question: What do you think of them? I wonder how did they end up in this forsaken situation. I say forsaken because society only makes an effort to help them when the winter comes with it's death dealing freeze. Then and only then do they look to put them in shelters.
When I see a homeless person I wonder where his/her family, any relatives etc are. I wonder what happened to this person. I have given homeless persons only food and drink from time to time and watched them eat and drink it.
I carry on a conversation with them, some open up others remain private about why they are homeless.
I would say to myself this is what Jesus and many other people would do. He had pity for many people and tried to help with food and drink himself. Because I have left religion, my feelings for humanity have not changed.
Every winter it becomes big news on how society cares about the homeless freezing to death. Why not care year round.
Of cause some of us may have been through the experiences that the homeless have suffered through and we don't become homeless but that does not take away why others do.
Well, that's my answer to your question. Some may call me a bleeding heart. For that I say thanks, because my heart bleeds for the human condition that we all are undergoing at this present time.
Blueblades
this bum thread is pants
I'm answering this as to my feelings on bums, not 'homeless'.
I don't want to go to work, but I must earn a living. Prostitutes work, landscapers work, bums don't TRY to work. How much help should a person give someone who never wishes to help themselves?
Usually, I feel like yelling at the same bums I see everyday for the last 6 years, panhandling at the light rather than go "lower" themselves to actually do crap work for money. It's easier to stand there, I guess. I don't feel that brand new $120 Timberland boots and a haircut every so often are necessary to stand out at an intersection. This includes when they have more expensive, warmer winter coats than I do. So, sympathy is the last thing I feel when they ask hundreds of drivers every single day for money to feed their whiskey-smelling breath. Then they stay that way, year after year. Yet, they're probably much happier than me since they don't have to obide by rules 9 hours a day for a paycheck.
