Why do we have homeless? Serious question
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From: SJC
Originally Posted by cthree,May 16 2009, 05:55 PM
Most long-term homelessness is due to mental illness. There will always be a segment of the population which is incapable of coping in normal society. Poverty is a symptom of the problem, not the problem. The only ones who care for these people are missions and outreach charities. The government does squat for them.
If you have no concept of (mental, emotional) structure, that nice, work-hard-and-earn-it middle-class exisistence ain't gonna happen.
Oh, and
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Most of these homeless people are not homeless because they choose to be in the position and not do anything about it. As it turns out, you have to get to know a person before you can analyze and judge why the said person is the way he/she is.
I suggest studying sociology if you're honestly interested in finding out how society actually works. To consider some of these homeless people insane, you'd have to understand what insanity is to begin with.
It's too much information to get into.
I suggest studying sociology if you're honestly interested in finding out how society actually works. To consider some of these homeless people insane, you'd have to understand what insanity is to begin with.
It's too much information to get into.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Toronto, Canada
Traditional welfare isn't any answer and the Finns boast a little too loudly. You can't put $600 in a bank account somebody doesn't have. There will ALWAYS be homeless (hobos, bums, whatever). That is reality. Whether these people are Schizophrenics, drug addicts, abused or abandoned children, PTSD or whatever they are not going to fit into the "norm" and you can't warehouse them in an institution. They will simply exist.
Nothing is perfect and there is no single solution which fits everyone. These people are on the street because of some severe mental or psychological illness which doesn't allow them to function within a structured society. The best you can do is try to take care of them and make sure they have enough food, clothing and shelter if they want it. You can't take these people in from the street, it's what they know and it's where they want to be. If they wanted to come in they could, there is lots of assistance to get them off the street.
The only other thing you can do is try to identify those at risk early and get them the treatment and counselling that might help them take another route. We tend to prefer to react to problems after the fact rather than before in North America. By then it's too late.
Nothing is perfect and there is no single solution which fits everyone. These people are on the street because of some severe mental or psychological illness which doesn't allow them to function within a structured society. The best you can do is try to take care of them and make sure they have enough food, clothing and shelter if they want it. You can't take these people in from the street, it's what they know and it's where they want to be. If they wanted to come in they could, there is lots of assistance to get them off the street.
The only other thing you can do is try to identify those at risk early and get them the treatment and counselling that might help them take another route. We tend to prefer to react to problems after the fact rather than before in North America. By then it's too late.
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Joined: May 2008
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From: College Station, TX
after watching the movie "the soloist"
i just want to be nicer to homeless people
but in college station, there is literally only 2 homeless people
who are pretty well known, and get constant help from the authorities and various charities
i know families who will cook for these people.
i just want to be nicer to homeless people
but in college station, there is literally only 2 homeless people
who are pretty well known, and get constant help from the authorities and various charities
i know families who will cook for these people.
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Joined: Apr 2006
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From: sunny suisun
we do have a lot of government programs but you have to know how to get around a lot of things. to qualify for those programs theres a bunch of paper work you have to go through and tons of hoops you've got to jump through. its not easy at all. also, considering that a huge fraction of homeless persons are mentally ill, you can imagine how hard it is for them to get hooked up with those programs.