[pommysmommy]

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

Looks to me like lack of jobs, homelessness, is heating up to have an effect on all of us. What can the individual do? I'm at a loss.

I try to do a little RAOK whenever I can but it's a drop in the ocean of life. Wednesday I went to the Weinerschnitzel for 25c hotdogs. I got a bag of 10 extra and took them to the homeless people sleeping on the sidewalk.

Seems to me the homeless problem is now seeping out to the commercial areas of the burbs. It's not just downtown anymore.

I buy food for the homeless. I am sorry if that trashes up the neighborhood but those people are still people and most have family somehwere who love and value them. I would venture to guess that there are some formerly successful people on the streets now who turned to drugs, alcohol, and/or developed mental illness. In my opinion, it is not my place to judge. The golden rule always applies. If I was homeless, I sure would appreciate the kindness.

[Buzz123]

I've read reports and spoken to people who work with the homeless. It seems that the majority of them are homeless because they think they want to live that life. They don't want any kind of responsibility.

Now we are getting homeless people due to the economy who will do anything to get off the streets. Those people I will help.

Welfare does not help, it enables, to use the PC language of today. Here's the thing: First of all, production is the basis of morale. You won't find many happy lazy people, whether filthy rich or dirt poor. To be happy you need a purpose...something to do and a reason to do it.

You could walk down Main Street and hand out $100 bills to those people everyday, and none of them would use it to find a room or buy food. They would still beg and look for hand outs and use the money to get drunk.

If they would take a job, that would help them.

[pommysmommy]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

I've read reports and spoken to people who work with the homeless. It seems that the majority of them are homeless because they think they want to live that life. They don't want any kind of responsibility.

Now we are getting homeless people due to the economy who will do anything to get off the streets. Those people I will help.

Welfare does not help, it enables, to use the PC language of today. Here's the thing: First of all, production is the basis of morale. You won't find many happy lazy people, whether filthy rich or dirt poor. To be happy you need a purpose...something to do and a reason to do it.

You could walk down Main Street and hand out $100 bills to those people everyday, and none of them would use it to find a room or buy food. They would still beg and look for hand outs and use the money to get drunk.

If they would take a job, that would help them.

I agree but some people are just broken. Should we not show them kindness? Giving them food and a bottle of water does not enable their habits.

[las vegas drunk]

I have been homeless multiple times in my life. My father was a conservative republican (evil), and threw me out of the house at 19 years old, even know I was working, and not on any drugs, including alcohol. He took me back and threw me out again continuously until he died in 1999. In other words, I did have family, but that means nothing. As I have found, some people can make it here in the great USA successfully , and some just can not. I have not been homeless for over 4 years, but I could easily be there again. Therefore, I always help the homeless. Unfortunately, I am a little too generous. Now, a lot of them know me when I walk to the strip, and beg me for money. I know what it is like to be hungry or thirsty, so I always give in.

[pommysmommy]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

I have been homeless multiple times in my life. My father was a conservative republican (evil), and threw me out of the house at 19 years old, even know I was working, and not on any drugs, including alcohol. He took me back and threw me out again continuously until he died in 1999. In other words, I did have family, but that means nothing. As I have found, some people can make it here in the great USA successfully , and some just can not. I have not been homeless for over 4 years, but I could easily be there again. Therefore, I always help the homeless. Unfortunately, I am a little too generous. Now, a lot of them know me when I walk to the strip, and beg me for money. I know what it is like to be hungry or thirsty, so I always give in.

Good for you LVD but don't give what you cannot afford to give.

[kimba01]

...and what did you do with any money given to you as a homeless person? We have many here in the Detroit area and when my friend and I were getting gas one day on Eight Mile, a homeless (so he said) man came and asked us for some money for food. We went and bought him a cart full of groceries and he had a fit on us, yelling that he needed the money! Uh huh. Precisely what we thought. I will not feed anyone's addiction who I know, so why would I feed a complete stranger's addiction? Help them in other areas? Yes, but many do not want that. Sad.

And they did bulldozed tent city recently, correct? The cops said the filth, feces, lice, rats, roaches, and other health detriments were out of control. This cannot be good for the population.

[pommysmommy]

Originally Posted by kimba01

...and what did you do with any money given to you as a homeless person? We have many here in the Detroit area and when my friend and I were getting gas one day one Eight Mile, a homeless (so he said) man came and asked us for some money for food. We went and bought him a cart full of groceries and he had a fit on us, yelling that he needed the money! Uh huh. Precisely what we thought. I will not feed anyone's addiction who I know, so why would I feed a complete stranger's addiction? Help them in other areas? Yes, but many do not want that. Sad. And they did bulldozed tent city recently, correct?

Kimba, I agree that there are scammers and that we should not feed addictions. My offers of food and water have also been rebuffed. That doesn't deter me from trying to help someone else. I refuse to harden my heart because of the actions of a few. The stark reality is that entire families are now homeless.

[Kalbo]

Sometimes I give food, sometimes a dollar or two, and sometimes nothing just depends what kind of mood I am in. I do have one rule I will only give to one homeless person a day.

[pommysmommy]

Originally Posted by Kalbo

Sometimes I give food, sometimes a dollar or two, and sometimes nothing just depends what kind of mood I am in. I do have one rule I will only give to one homeless person a day.

[Daddys///M3]

Originally Posted by barocko7

Yes, it`s true - Our Governmental System is not of social character, you`d have to go to Europe to find otherwise, thats why our country has the majority of homeless helpless victims of a greedy System of dog-eat-dog mentality.
It`s not right for you to see homeless people as some kind of "Mosquito" that should be slapped away, because you think they bother you when you see them vegetating in their horible lives of poverty.

Imagine, if everybody would bring them food, clothing and maybe even a few dollars, or professional qualified persons like lawyers, bankers etc., would visit them from time to time and give advice for free, or Doctors would, from time to time, visit and help them without charge, which would maybe help some of them toward getting on a different path in life. This would be the real "American way" through SOLIDARITY with your fellow citizens who really need all the help they can get.

With all due respect, you've got it all wrong. The system in this country is not dog eat dog, but rather life is what you make of it. Our government is not supposed to be of social character (whatever that means). Our government is supposed to be very limited in what it is allowed to do. Not to mention the fact that the populations of European countries (Europe is a continent by the way, not every country over there operates the same) are much smaller than ours and they don't have the massive defense and foreign aid (who sent aircraft carriers to the Indian Ocean after the tsunami in 2004 again? Was it France or Sweden?) budget that we do. That said, as was mentioned by someone previously, we do have quite a few shelters and programs available for the homeless. Whether they choose to take advantage of them is another thing entirely. Personally, I would like to see an end to Section 8, food stamps, and welfare as a source of income (I understand that some need temporary help but generations of life long entitlement grabbers is unacceptable and actually keeps the poor and downtrodden just that) and in their place, perhaps the money could be spent on vocational schools, job training, and job placement. That way we are empowering these people with the ability to sustain their own existence. As Buzz said, production is the basis of morale. It's the truth. If you take someone that is a burden on society and turn them into a productive member, their entire outlook will change and the sense of pride and accomplishment would shine through. How could I possibly know that, you say?


I was homeless. Off and on for about 4 years. As a formerly homeless person that straightened my life out with hard work, determination, and just a little bit of luck, I do not give anything to panhandlers although I have no issue with handing out food (that sort of things quickly differentiates from those who want and need help and those that want and need booze or drugs). During my tenure as a bum I never once panhandled or asked anything of anybody. I actually worked most of the time (the wages were nowhere near enough to house me but kept me fed and in blankets and jackets). The fact is that there is opportunity in this country if one is WILLING to take that opportunity. Many are not. Of course I will concede that the current economic situation adds a different spin on things, and to be honest if I had work to offer some of these folks I would gladly do so. I will not, however, enable them by giving them money.

The death of personal responsibility in this country is sickening.