Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazuela
We all judge. It's in our nature to do so. But some of us judge out of a sense of privileged superiority, and some judge out of just "I'm a human, therefore I judge."
There but for the grace of god go I. And when someone says they've met a lot of homeless who only want to rip people off, they usually mean they've seen this one guy who rips people off, do so regularly, therefore he represents a lot of them.
Yes there are some who choose the homeless life, but that is usually because they have to choose between that or something even worse. I've sat with young women who left their homes and chose to be homeless rather than live in a home where they and their siblings were physically assaulted by their parents, or sold into prostitution. If those are the only choices you have when you're 16 - accept being physically abused, or become someone's whore - the "choice" to be homeless looks pretty damned attractive.
If the "choice" is being overmedicated because the judge says you're disabled and need to be put away in a "safe place" where you get no visitors, have nothing to do, nowhere to go, and nothing but other insane people to talk to all day - OR living on the streets hoping for a moment of kindness from a stranger...then sure, that's a "choice."
Feel bad when you stub your toe. And then remember there are people who have no feet.
Or sit tight and confident with your righteous indignation about how all those smelly infected sick dirty homeless people dare to look you in the eye. Because that's your choice.
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.......... and that, Jazuela, is an excellent post - thank you. There, but for the grace of God, go I. Yes, we were raised on that. No, we were not holy rollers or on our knees every Sunday, but we were raised to care for those who cannot care for themselves.
Does anyone remember when the powers that be decided to close down all the insane infirmaries and send all those poor souls out onto the streets?, well I do and many of them ended up living on the streets and under bridges, and the "sane" homeless people took care of the "insane" homeless people. Most of the insane were actually medically diagnosable; i.e. people who had had severe nervous breakdowns, people who were "hearing voices" - actually schizophrenic, people with bi-polar which was not diagnosed fully until quite recently, and so many other mental illnesses.
It is so easy for us who have been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to get through life with a good living and to be able to retire with grace, but what about the people who cannot get through life, who are totally addicted to pills, who do suffer with mental problems and nobody cares, not even their families.
In countries like ours where the wealthy are filthy rich couldn't we make group homes for people so that they could have a bed and a shower before they have to face their hellish days just trying to get through until they can come back to the home at night for a decent meal and a clean bed?
You can label me whatever you like ........ a bleeding heart liberal or some other name, but I would rather you label me with being a caring person who bleeds when they see the injustices in this world.