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If I remember right from my Chicago days...
Bums are politicians or the other baseball team.
We called the homeless "winos".
Never had an issue with the homeless in any city.
I think aggression is an individual thing, not regional.
...now aggressive drivers....
If I remember right from my Chicago days...
Bums are politicians
Now we just call 'em thugs. Seriously, have you seen a city council session recently? (I'm almost going to miss Dorthy 'the hat' Tilliman). I keep waiting for someone to start banging his (or her) shoe on the desk Khrushchev style whenever I see footage of their sessions
Worse than when Harold would say to Fast Eddie:
" I'm gonna give ya a whole lot of what you don't want"
( while waving his fist ) talk about aggressive
Katherine Kersten: The future of downtown is threatened by beggars (broken link)
Personally, I am a liberal and have no problem with social programs that work. I support and contribute to a variety of organizations that address poverty. But I also love cities and am not willing to see them deteriorate because people are afraid or annoyed to come to them because of the outlandish and sometimes illegal behavior of others. I don't judge the circumstances of homeless people; I do judge the behavior of people in my community, homeless or otherwise.
It's not a question of if they are human beings or not, it is an issue of behavior. If you subsidise their self destuctive behavior you will get more of it.That is a natural law. There is no reason in todays world that anyone needs to beg. There is pleanty of work and social programs for anyone who wants to straighten themselves out. These people for the most part have substance abuse problems and are only looking for the easiest way to get high, when you give them money you are just making it easier for them. They trade there self respect for each hand out, which makes them want to escape reality that much more. It is a downward spiral. The beggars are only half the problem, the do gooders who support their lifestyle to make themselves feel better are the real problem. For every action there is a reaction, consider the reaction before doing the wrong thing.
Well, i guess it comes down to individual impressions. I don't feel the same. In my experience if you treat people with respect then that respect will be returned and if it doesn't get returned then you lost nothing, since you did the right thing by carrying yourself as a kind/respectable person. The fact of the matter is our society has a "poor attitude" with regards to homeless and anyone that is not mainstream in general. I think before you or anyone comments you should put yourself in their position. Live on the streets with mental illness, feel the rats and bugs crawl over your body, find yourself needing to use the bathroom and none are available unless "you have money" to make a purchase. In case no one has noticed, thanks to our wonderful Congress more and more social programs have been eliminated, that is not to say that they were "highly effective" in the first place, as we can't seem to connect with other human beings in order to address the issues with logic and compassion.
Just imagine yourself going through a crisis and finding no one by your side It's typical in the modern world and is a result of ignorant attitudes that plague this so called America that we live in.
I find it insidious that people are so revolted by someone asking for change? Give me a break, you can always say no and not make an issue over nothing. I am an advocate for those that have traditionally been cast out as outsiders, not only the homeless but for all people that have been dehumanized by a segment of our ignorant population. To crucify a human being because they are poor and suffering is criminal behavior in my opinion. Not every homeless person is rude and violent, very few are, and if so, it's a direct result of their circumstances. Most people had horrible things happen to them and people's negative remarks don't bring any solutions.
People that are "annoyed" to come to a city because of the homeless is their problem. Outlandish behavior is a matter of opinion. That's like someone saying, "I don't want a beauty salon on the corner of my street because it attracts punk rockers with blue hair" well you can say that, but people are still free to build that shop and people with dress how they want. The point is simple, people can complain about you just as much as you can about them. Who's right? It doesn't matter because we're not going to get anywhere like this. It comes down to tolerance and coping with things you may not like to a certain degree. Not easy but possible!
Last edited by Supernova7; 06-14-2007 at 11:51 AM..
Well, i guess it comes down to individual impressions. I don't feel the same. In my experience if you treat people with respect then that respect will be returned and if it doesn't get returned then you lost nothing.
I'd like to believe that is true, but I know for a fact there are people out there like my father who always treated people with respect, who in his younger days, worked in a garage in a rough part of town, whose 'respect' was returned with being mugged of his paycheck by a bunch of thugs who put a gun to his head. Not everyone given respect replies in turn.
Well, i guess it comes down to individual impressions. I don't feel the same. In my experience if you treat people with respect then that respect will be returned and if it doesn't get returned then you lost nothing, since you did the right thing by carrying yourself as a kind/respectable person. The fact of the matter is our society has a "poor attitude" with regards to homeless and anyone that is not mainstream in general. I think before you or anyone comments you should put yourself in their position. Live on the streets with mental illness, feel the rats and bugs crawl over your body, find yourself needing to use the bathroom and none are available unless "you have money" to make a purchase. In case no one has noticed, thanks to our wonderful Congress more and more social programs have been eliminated, that is not to say that they were "highly effective" in the first place, as we can't seem to connect with other human beings in order to address the issues with logic and compassion.
Just imagine yourself going through a crisis and finding no one by your side It's typical in the modern world and is a result of ignorant attitudes that plague this so called America that we live in.
In the first place you assume (mistakenly) that I have not been poor. I also am aware of what social programs are in place to help anyone who wants help. The truth which you may not like because it conflicts with your "feelings" is that most beggars are not homeless or mentally ill. The people on the street who are mentally ill usually do not beg, and I agree that they do need more help than they are getting. But they are not the problem. The beggars are and they range from scam artists who work varied locations and make six figures a year, to alcoholics and drug addicts who have found it is easy to beg for an hour or two and spend the rest of the day stoned.
This is a plague on our society and it is supported by the do gooders who give the beggars money in order to make themselves feel like they are good people. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. As far as "so called America" is concerned I suggest you spend some time outside this fine Country so that you can get a perspective on reality. Most of the rest of this planet is a cesspool of humanity where there is no such thing as rights or justice. Spend some time in a place where human life means nothing and exploitation is the normal way of life. Perhaps then you will be smart enough to appreciate what you have and the people who have sacrificed so that you can criticize it.
Good post, jimhcom! Let's keep the America bashing out of this very important city thread! I'm so bored with the blame America crowd, so lame- and so ignorant!
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It's typical in the modern world and is a result of ignorant attitudes that plague this so called America that we live in.
