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It's sad that the lack of response to this thread indicates how little people care about those living on the streets. Even more sad is that many seem to feel that refugees from another country are more deserving of our resources than our own citizens.
Homelessness is part of the human condition, especially in a country like the US where it costs so much just to pay rent, eat, etc. People choose to forego an address and all that comes with it. I would guess that about 80% of the homeless are there by their own decisions (to include bad decisions).
You can't help those that don't want to be helped. And to some extent I can respect the decision to become homeless. In 2016, it just isn't a high priority.
Meanwhile, refugees of different sorts will be an increasing problem for the whole world going forward. Doing nothing with/for them really isn't an option for compassionate societies (which is most/all 1st world nations).
Last edited by Back to NE; 01-19-2016 at 09:04 AM..
Reason: spacing
Let's not forget that much of the Section 8 housing is full because of anchor babies and their illegal families. Also, that people are not getting the mental health care since Medicaid is being stretched to the limits. Illegal pregnant women get pre-natal care from conception to birth and illegals use the emergency room 3 times more often and do it for free.
The cost of resettling these "refugees": The High Cost of Resettling Middle Eastern Refugees | Center for Immigration Studies and for those that don't want to click the link: "On average, each Middle Eastern refugee resettled in the United States costs an estimated $64, 370 for the first 5 years or $257,481 per household." Where do people think this money comes from?
Politicians don't get in the media promoting doing something about the homeless especially since most have been politicians for some time and it will make people wonder why something has not been done sooner.
Also, when you look at the dangerous cities in the US, I am not sure that the Syrian people are in more danger than some of our own people.
My primary concern is for the homeless vets. WE sent them to war and broke them. We owe them. The other 550,000 estimated homeless we owe as well. They are our own citizens. We certainly owe them a hell of a lot more than we do refugees from Syria or anywhere else. The estimated cost of resettling the Syrian refugees is estimated to be 1.2 billion dollars over 6 years..... I would think that 1.2 billion would be far better spent on our own homeless.
From another source The High Cost of Resettling Middle Eastern Refugees | Center for Immigration Studies
$64,370 per refugee.
Most veterans, homeless or otherwise, were not deployed to war zones/ combat duty.
Does the US owe lifetime housing to all veterans?
I am opposed to accepting all refugees from anywhere until the US brings the 30 year challenge of illegal immigration to a conclusion.
If you think of the political clout that is spent, and I say wasted, fretting over the Syrian refugees, as well as those that flooded across our border last year.
600,000 Americans are in the streets, braving the weather. Last night we heard from the democrats running for office how we are a compassionate people. That we must help the refugees. Yet I don't recall them mentioning our 50,000+ homeless vets or the 550,000 other homeless.
I feel that charity starts at home first. How can we justify taking in thousands of refugees, giving them a life, providing them shelter and all the while turn a blind eye to our own in need?
The GOP talks about needing to build a fence. Needing to get illegal immigration under control. They talk about building businesses. Never a word about our homeless.
I believe neither party cares because their is no political hay to be made. The homeless are an embarrassing fact that both seem happy to ignore.
What has Obama done for them? Nothing. Funny when it is an election year the homeless seem to get attention, not before that. 8 years have passed and not a shelter built.
A fence will prohibit more impoverished people from flooding into the country. We can not
take care of our own Vets let alone millions of poor newly arriving uneducated people. So a fence makes sense to me and others, perhaps not you.
Tell me how many homeless shelters have been built with the money we waste on the middle east? Not one. So you are right, the GOP has not made it an issue, but the democrats only use the homeless for votes for a pack of smokes or a bottle of booze. We watched them line them up in CA for "the vote"....sad and disgusting our country has become.
So stop the flood of entitlement seekers and maybe we can feed our own for a while. Politicians don't give a rip but some of the people still do. Perhaps we should stop waiting for government to solve our problems?
The vast majority of permanent homeless in the US are mentally ill and/ or addicted to substance.
A lot become addicted to substances after they become homeless because it's something to do to pass time.
To respond to the main OP though, I agree that the government needs to worry about our own citizens first rather than try to bring others in and improve their situations. Why can't their countries fix it?
Hitler was homeless for years in Vienna, almost died on the streets one winter!
But I agree, it's not just the homeless who need help, it's all those families living below the poverty line. We don't see pictures of the many hungry white folks in this country, the children going to bed hungry.
But it makes a difference in where the homeless reside. Less compassion for those that never have to worry about freezing to death in the winter time, like southern Florida.
And let's not kid ourselves, you can even freeze to death in Southern California in the winter time or southern Arizona or Texas!
For want of the price
Of bed and a slice
The old man died?
A lot become addicted to substances after they become homeless because it's something to do to pass time.
To respond to the main OP though, I agree that the government needs to worry about our own citizens first rather than try to bring others in and improve their situations. Why can't their countries fix it?
Well said.
Thank you to the people who have responded.
I agree many of the homeless are on the streets by choice. I would wager that the majority are not.
Last year when the wave of illegals crossed our border the Fed moved mountains to provide them shelter, food and medical care. For our own we get lip service.
Now the Syrian refugees have suddenly become our problem. Obama and the left says that we need to be compassionate and take care of these people. Why? Why when we have massive debt and our own needy have been ignored?
As some have said the left claims to care right up until asked to do something about it. The last time the dems cared about the homeless was when they used them as a pawn against requiring ID to vote.
Now the Dems in office seem to only care about illegals and refugees.
Why would a mugger with a source of income be homeless?
It's 20 degrees outside. The low last night was in the low teens. Who would choose to sleep in a box or under a bridge in such conditions willingly? The mentally ill might.
Bear in mind, 2/3rds of Americans are 2 paychecks away from being homeless, thus, let's not write the majority of them off as mentally ill or with drug problems.
Back in the mid-70's, a coworker of mine, with 2 college degrees (mind you!) voluntarily became homeless, fed up with the rat race. She's ideally cut out for the homeless lifestyle. She's the first to enter a library in the morning, and the last to leave! She could read and read and read ad infinitum!
When she called me in the early 90's, she had traveled so widely, she knew all the best homeless shelters in a good part of the country.
Back in the Middle Ages, when you wanted to get off the merry-go-round of life, wanted to take a long breather, you'd merely head for the nearest monastery, drop out for awhile, and while there you had some daily chores to do, but very little if any pressure. When recouped, ready to join the world again, you'd leave!
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Where do people think this money comes from?
