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I once heard someone make that argument. Do you think there's any truth to that?
If someone was truly a bad person, they would've found a way to avoid homelessness...by mooching off people, stealing, engaging in illegal occupations such as drug selling, scamming people, or using less common shady strategies to stay above water.
Having lived in Chicago, and seeing them on a daily basis, I've never had any problems and I generally think they are harmless. I'm more worried about people who have bills to pay as they may feel like their back is against the wall and may rob/steal to get by. Or people on drugs/alcohol who rob/steal to get money to pay for a fix. They also have enough money to get a weapon.
Homeless people have a harder time getting a gun, I would assume.
I once heard someone make that argument. Do you think there's any truth to that?
If someone was truly a bad person, they would've found a way to avoid homelessness...by mooching off people, stealing, engaging in illegal occupations such as drug selling, scamming people, or using less common shady strategies to stay above water.
Homeless people are far from harmless. They carry knives in order to survive and defend any turf they've staked out, like a nice dry out-of-the-way sleeping spot, for example. Homeless people are perfectly capable of assaulting people, and in some cities, they do. That's why there are "aggressive panhandling" laws. Geez, don't be naive. And some do engage in drug selling. They don't make enough to pay a rent and other living expenses, they may just get enough for some meals. But some homeless do sell drugs. Anything to survive, you know.
I once heard someone make that argument. Do you think there's any truth to that?
If someone was truly a bad person, they would've found a way to avoid homelessness...by mooching off people, stealing, engaging in illegal occupations such as drug selling, scamming people, or using less common shady strategies to stay above water.
There are other forms of harm, such as ruining the community appearance (does anyone "like" seeing homeless in their community?), providing an intimidating presence, urinating in alleys, reminding people that we have a mental illness and homelessness problem, and lowering property values.
I once heard someone make that argument. Do you think there's any truth to that?
If someone was truly a bad person, they would've found a way to avoid homelessness...by mooching off people, stealing, engaging in illegal occupations such as drug selling, scamming people, or using less common shady strategies to stay above water.
There isn't much truth in that.
You don't have to be a "truly bad person" to be dangerous. Sometimes you just have to be insane which a lot of homeless are.
Now don't get me wrong, the vast majority of homeless people are simply down on their luck and insane but not dangerous to others. But sometimes you'll get one whose voices tell them to push a random stranger in front of a subway train, or they'll get hold of some crack and go berserk, etc.
You don't have to be a "truly bad person" to be dangerous. Sometimes you just have to be insane which a lot of homeless are.
Now don't get me wrong, the vast majority of homeless people are simply down on their luck and insane but not dangerous to others. But sometimes you'll get one whose voices tell them to push a random stranger in front of a subway train, or they'll get hold of some crack and go berserk, etc.
So, going by your logic, people who live in houses don't suffer from mental illnesses, don't use or sell drugs, carry knives or guns, and they're never dangerous, they keep their houses and yards immaculate and never urinate outdoors, etc. Does this seem like a reasonable deduction to you? Frankly, there are more holes in that theory than there are in most sieves.
As I write this, the next door neighbor to us (we're looking after a house in an upscale subdivision 'til the end of the year) just finished having a wild, drunken party, and they didn't quit until circa 5 a.m. These houses are Mc Mansions and the neighbors are rolling in surplus funds, so poverty or riches do not determine whether or not you're an a$$hole.
When we're on the road, which we are most of the time, you'd never know that we sleep in our 'wheel estate,' - we make sure you don't. For us (as missionaries) our mobile lifestyle is a choice (or calling in our case), and we've been traveling the world helping people for 41+ years.
We know scores of people who're happily living responsible lives as 'vandwellers' simply because they like the freedom of a minimalist and mobile lifestyle, yet sleeping in one's van is technically illegal in most places. Certainly there are homeless people who need more help than they're getting, but why the 'problem' exists in the first place is a whole other thread.
To assume that people in sticks and bricks houses don't have problems too, is incredibly naive.
Last edited by Ibginnie; 07-12-2015 at 06:29 PM..
Reason: english only please
Mental illness, disfunctionality, addiction, instability, desperation, and violence go together quite well. They don't have to be master criminals to pose a threat to the public.
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