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I don't care where "they" go, as long as I don't have to look at them. "Out of sight, out of mind". If you care for them so much, why don't you take them into your home?
BTW, I've seen more homeless on a given day in Moore Square, than the last time I walked down any given street in Manhattan.
Well, you were the one with the brilliant idea, so I naturally figured you probably had a realistic, viable solution. So where is it?
I never said I "care" for them, but I at least try to treat them like other human beings instead of festering piles of garbage. I don't know how you were raised, but I tend to treat others - regardless of their socioeconomic status - how I would hope to be treated by others as well.
Well, you were the one with the brilliant idea, so I naturally figured you probably had a realistic, viable solution. So where is it?
I never said I "care" for them, but I at least try to treat them like other human beings instead of festering piles of garbage. I don't know how you were raised, but I tend to treat others - regardless of their socioeconomic status - how I would hope to be treated by others as well.
Your karma must be *awesome*.
No kidding. I can't believe the callousness of some people.
No, I'm not a bleeding heart liberal - but I tell you what, it's a label I'd be a lot prouder of than what could apply here.
Nortel, you'd better hope for your sake that you don't lose your job, suffer a catastrophic illness that bankrupts you, or go through some other tragedy that forces you to join their ranks. My God, they're human beings, not dirt. This kind of attitude is just plain disgusting.
First off, I love how you enlightened ones counter my perceived sweeping generalization with a sweeping generalization about me--someone you don't know the first thing about. A suggestion: open the dictionary to the word "hypocrite" and commence reading.
Secondly, I don't know what happy fuzzy world you live in, but for your info I lived in and around New York City for over 30 years before moving south, and the suggestion that all homeless people are misunderstood teddy bears is a joke. I have been shot at in the South Bronx, I've seen homeless people push folks onto the subway tracks, I've seen more attacks of a verbal and physical nature than I care to. My wife is from a rough area in Queens and has her own stories. Again, forgive us for being protective of our infant in a questionable environment.
I never said all homeless were mentally deranged. But I did mention that the ones walking directly up to us were talking to themselves. Maybe you should stop singing Kumbaya for a minute and think about what this might signify. If you said mental issues you get a gold star.
I am not going to get into a pissing contest or justify trying to keep my family safe. But I'll leave you with this: I am the person you want spending money downtown. I have a lovely home with an acre of land outside of Raleigh. I have no pressing need to help the city of Raleigh out. I also have a good bit of disposable income. I don't care a lick what you think of me. But I can tell you that until conditions improve downtown, my family won't spend a dime down there.
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Excellent response!! I won't feel guilty for feeling uncomfortable around a bunch of crackheads twisting each others hair on the sidewalk begging for change. Not when it is becoming more and more difficult to earn that change.
While I agree that some homeless are down on their luck and looking to improve their station in life, the bunch that hangs around the park at the bus station are not working to improve their situation. I also don't beleive being a drug addict is a sociaoeconomic classification in any society...that is a fester pile of garbage.
It may be your calling in life to reach out to these folks and I would applaud your actions, but it is not everyones responsibility to save the individuals who have made bad choices in life.
I say convert the Dorothea Dix campus to a huge homeless shelter where they can be taken care of, fed, taught some skills and manners. Maybe some could be rehabilitated and others would just have a nice place to be. Then downtown could be fixed up and people that are not as comfortable with these groups of people would be more inclined to visit or move downtown.
No kidding. I can't believe the callousness of some people.
No, I'm not a bleeding heart liberal - but I tell you what, it's a label I'd be a lot prouder of than what could apply here.
Nortel, you'd better hope for your sake that you don't lose your job, suffer a catastrophic illness that bankrupts you, or go through some other tragedy that forces you to join their ranks. My God, they're human beings, not dirt. This kind of attitude is just plain disgusting.
Pullen Park is an absolute dump. Dirty, grimy, disgusting. Do people actually like going there? Some people must, as it was pretty busy the only, and last, time we were there.
While I agree that some homeless are down on their luck and looking to improve their station in life, the bunch that hangs around the park at the bus station are not working to improve their situation. I also don't beleive being a drug addict is a sociaoeconomic classification in any society...that is a fester pile of garbage.
It may be your calling in life to reach out to these folks and I would applaud your actions, but it is not everyones responsibility to save the individuals who have made bad choices in life.
No, it's not my calling in life to reach out to these people, nor am I singing Kumbaya as some other poster seems to assume. I don't even give these people money when they panhandle. I've offered food before, but I know that many of them have drug problems and/or are mentally ill, and are not going to use my money for good.
I am what some people like to call a realist. I don't go around spouting detritus such as "Get them out of my sight!" and "I'm never going downtown again because something exists there that exists in every city of the world" and "I'm going to sensor my life [or my children's lives] because I am essentially a wuss". But it's everyone's choice to live their lives how they choose, so sensor away, but don't go complaining about that which you choose to sensor on your own.
And if I were to say, get rid of something, I'd at least offer a realistic solution for making it happen. The truth is, there is no realistic solution to homelessness, so why bother? Nortel STILL hasn't offered any ideas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nortel
Blah, blah, blah....
They are not my problem.
Well, that is why we have the situation we have, isn't it? In that case, the problem you have with this issue is not my problem. I don't have a problem going downtown and enjoying the museums, festivals, plays, and art galleries there. You are not my problem!
To me it sounds like there might be a few posters on here who fall into the mentally unstable category along with some of the vagrants...people who have absolutely no empathy, nor any interest in having empathy. So sad. I hope they never need anyone to empathize with their situation.
As for turning Dix into a massive homeless shelter - thank you CD for offering an idea, but what about the people who are currently committed at Dix? It is still a functioning mental hospital.
My biggest beef is, offer solutions if you're going to whine about a problem so arrogantly. I'd also love to see some of these posters make the same statements to someone's face. I don't think it would happen.
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How About This Solution?
In that case, the problem you have with this issue is not my problem. I don't have a problem going downtown and enjoying the museums, festivals, plays, and art galleries there. You are not my problem! 
I hope they never need anyone to empathize with their situation.
