Homeless and American

originally posted by: KaiserSouszay
a reply to: Pluginn

Your point is absolutely valid, especially in today's economy. There are many homeless who just couldn't keep up with cost of living and housing.

Some incurred a major debt that sunk them, often medical. I believe Obamacare sent medical costs for many sky high.

Some lost a good paying job, sometimes of no fault of there own, due to our crap economy, thanks Joe.

Some simply don't make enough to afford housing and living expenses despite a will to work, although these people are usually subsidized by government programs.

Some simply can't budget and make poor financial decisions. They buy materialistic crap, chasing fulfillment and end up broke.

Some have been become addicted to our now accepted sex addicted culture like porn and prostitution, think only fans. Or think of the legalized gambling, especially sports gambling on your phone. Some people can't keep these vices in check.

Most of these examples of homeless peoples can and will recover with a little help.We as a society can and do help in general.

However I would say they are the minority of the homeless problem. Many homeless have absolutely no will nor the ability to function in society anymore. Some have the will and the ability but cannot get the help they need.

This would describe the drug and alcohol addicted people on the street. As well as the mentally compromised. Giving them a home, shelter, or food will not treat these issues. Many need to be institutionalized to get that help, but how do you that and at what cost?

And some of these addicted people have absolutely zero will to change and will just continue to be burdens on society. I think that is the majority of the homeless in this country, but I could be wrong.

I think we need stricter drug laws, with heavier sentences for dealers and suppliers. That goes for users as well, they'll think twice about trying crack or fentynal if it's a 3 year sentence for possession.

Instead we are reducing drug sentencing for many offenses, hell nowadays they are back on the street next day, or not arrested or charged. We also leave our southern border wide open so that the cartels can flood our country with more drugs, making them cheaper and more available. Great plan leftists.

Maybe we shouldn't encourage people to gamble either.

I think it is basically a symptom of our cultural breakdown for the most part, then add in terrible economic situation and here we stand.

But we can't just allow lawless drug addicts to roam our streets anymore, they need to be institutionalized or imprisoned.

I agree, but I do think/believe ppl mostly think they just addicts/mental cases and sure many who are visible, you see lots of video's of such people on youtube video's together being really messed up by drugs. I'm not in the US but sure that's a big problem. On the other hand it's also a problem because ppl and towns don't like to see this in plain sight. People just looting all those stores is I guess a bigger problem but the police don't do anything about it, but annoy and kick homeless ppl out of their tents and order them to move elsewhere. Giving them fines! and just do evertything possible to make their lives even harder, let alone most people who see them as just ''dirt''.
On Reddit you got a channel; /homeless which is interesting to read (at least for me). Also since I'm Christian my believe is such people should be cared most for, not about some big company's and rich people but they get everything basically and dictate what matters so to speak. So when you look how messed up our society is it's because society/government basically cares about that, and we people also just care about ourselves/money/status and such.
About drugs, well, in my opinion make it worthless in money, if they want to use it let them but just regulated where they can get it at drug stores. Now they use cheap drugs which is very deadly, because it's cheap... and they can't afford much at all. Also you don't have these drug lords who cause big issues in their country's like in S-America because of all those drug users in the US.

I bet about 50% of the homeless hide in some forest, in their cars (out of sight) which are not heavy drug users, maybe just alcohol, where many have jobs but not the best jobs of course.
But people don't see them, hear about them, bother them, so it's not a problem/issue.

Also a nice ytube channel with people sharing their story's about being homeless:
Invisible people

Many of them are the nicest guys/girls you can find for sure!

When I was young, between the ages of 17-18, I experienced homelessness here in the UK. Back then it was a frightening & unfriendly world that greeted the young homeless person, with many risks & catch-22 situations that meant it was practically almost impossible to escape the descent into abject misery that homelessness represented. Nowadays I believe there are more services targeting young people affected with homelessness, but back then there was nothing at all aimed specifically at the young.

In my case, I escaped the snare of homelessness by a combination of two things: Firstly, I had some informal support from a community church that did a lot of work helping to rehabilitate homeless people from the ground upwards - helping to restore their self-esteem, a work ethic, a community mindset, spiritual rebirth & the brothershood of Man, fellowship with like-minded souls. The second thing was actually pulling myself up by my bootstraps -I lived temporarily in a portacabin which had a gas heater, running water & some cooking facilities - it was a break out room for the workers in a church owned business - someone I knew gave me the key secretly so I could stay there overnight & not freeze to death outdoors. I managed to find a job & used the facilities in local stores to get myself cleaned up for work each day, nipping into the church household every other day for a shower. With my first wages I secured a room in someone's house, and then my long trek back into the world of normalcy resumed. But without those contacts, and the divinely inspired lucky breaks, I wouldn't have made it, I would have succumbed to alcoholism at a bare minimum.

Homelessness is a terrible scourge, but if one is properly motivated & finds out where to acquire support of various sorts, there are ways out for the industrious soul who works hard to restore their place in society. However, many people are not so fortunate, perhaps dealing with mental health issues, drug & alcohol dependence, a lack of financial support, family problems, lack of social contacts of a supportive nature & so on. It's awful to go through it, and I love & respect all who work to alleviate the suffering which comes with it.

Thanks for the thread, it's an important reminder to keep our human compassion switched on at all times, and to lend support wherever we can.