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Old 01-19-2016, 10:34 AM
 
Location: Living rent free in your head
42,783 posts, read 26,093,782 times
Reputation: 33927

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Quote:
Originally Posted by boneyard1962 View Post
How about the President do what he did for the refugees who flooded across our borders? How about he do what he's doing for the Syrian refugees? He doesn't seem to have a problem finding shelter for those people.
I thought you wanted to talk about the homeless, after all that is the title of the thread and this is what you said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by boneyard1962 View Post
It's sad that the lack of response to this thread indicates how little people care about those living on the streets.
It is disingenuous to start a thread claiming it is about one thing when it reality it is nothing more than another Obama bash fest.
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Old 01-19-2016, 10:38 AM
 
Location: Living rent free in your head
42,783 posts, read 26,093,782 times
Reputation: 33927
Quote:
Originally Posted by veezybell View Post
So everyone that's homeless suffers from mental illness? mkay...
did I say that? If you ever worked with the homeless you might realize that the vast majority of the most visible homeless who live on the sidewalk are mentally ill, frequently confounded by comorbid conditions such as alcohol or drug abuse.
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Old 01-19-2016, 10:39 AM
 
Location: NE Mississippi
25,438 posts, read 17,134,480 times
Reputation: 37134
Quote:
Originally Posted by boneyard1962 View Post
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.
Homeless people don't vote, for the most part.

Our political system has become permanently distorted because the legislative, executive and even judicial members have become mostly interested in keeping their jobs or promoting their legacy. Serving America has become a distant second.

Debate; debate; debate; retire nicely.
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Old 01-19-2016, 10:44 AM
 
Location: Fairfax, VA
3,826 posts, read 3,380,853 times
Reputation: 3694
Quote:
Originally Posted by boneyard1962 View Post
True. Life choices led to being homeless.
Life choices led to many of the refugees becoming refugees. What makes them our responsibility? Or what makes them more our responsibility or more deserving of our compassion than our own?
I think most know that I am a center right leaning libertarian. I believe in accountability for ones actions/ choices. That said I am also compassionate towards those who are truly in need. We are too great a nation to allow our citizens to freeze to death or starve to death on our streets.
Once homeless your options to recover are minimal. How do you apply for a job with no address or phone number? How can you go to a job interview smelling like a sewer and dressed in rags?
Good people have ended up homeless due to being laid off or loosing their business.
In my opinion before we spend a dime in foreign aid, or to help refugees (homeless) from other countries we need to take care of our own first and always.

Other "life choices"

1. Quitting school and running away from home to become a "model"
2. Taking drugs and skipping school
3. Getting knocked up
4. Going to college and majoring in something that the marketplace does not need more of
5. Having a police record by the time you are 18.
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Old 01-19-2016, 11:21 AM
 
1,431 posts, read 909,753 times
Reputation: 1316
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2sleepy View Post
did I say that? If you ever worked with the homeless you might realize that the vast majority of the most visible homeless who live on the sidewalk are mentally ill, frequently confounded by comorbid conditions such as alcohol or drug abuse.
But I have. The simple fact is that some people make bad life choices and end up on the street. I'm pretty sure I'd be homeless by now if I kept up the antics I was involved in. Either that, dead, or jail. Let's be honest with ourselves.

Btw, I could ask you the same thing about mental illness: "did I say that?" I never claimed mental illness was a life choice, cmon now.

Last edited by veezybell; 01-19-2016 at 11:34 AM..
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Old 01-19-2016, 11:38 AM
 
808 posts, read 1,676,756 times
Reputation: 813
Quote:
Originally Posted by veezybell View Post
So everyone that's homeless suffers from mental illness? mkay...
Many yes. When mental asylums were shut down due to deplorable conditions, this put a lot of mentally ill people out on the street. The thing is they often eventually fall under the control of the government in the form of jails and prisons.

Of course not all homeless are mentally ill, but many, many are, because there is no where else for them to go. If they can't get access to treatment, their conditions and ability to function deteriorate until they can't hold a job, they lose the roof over their head, and then they are put in a very stressful environment which just exacerbates their condition.

Now, what I would propose is that we, are humans, assist other humans, but many don't feel this way unfortunately. But the homeless are still out there, and one way or another they cost money. In emergency room visits to hospitals and trips to jail and prison from crimes committed.
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Old 01-19-2016, 12:40 PM
 
Location: Barrington
63,919 posts, read 46,615,875 times
Reputation: 20674
Quote:
Originally Posted by veezybell View Post
So everyone that's homeless suffers from mental illness? mkay...
Huge distinction between temporary and long term homelessness. The former accounts for about 85% of the homelessness. Those in the latter long term homelessness category are mostly mentally ill and/ or addicted to substances.
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Old 01-19-2016, 12:40 PM
 
17,273 posts, read 9,526,371 times
Reputation: 16468
Quote:
Originally Posted by boneyard1962 View Post
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.
Go talk to your fellow cons. They don't give two hoots about homeless. Come on this forum, they're constantly insulting the homeless. Maybe you should give them a nice lecture, they're the ones who need the help in becoming compassionate & helping others, not the dems. Hell, just read this very thread. I guarantee the ones making the off handed, insulting remarks are from cons. In fact, I'll bet on it.
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Old 01-19-2016, 12:46 PM
 
808 posts, read 1,676,756 times
Reputation: 813
Also, homeless doesn't mean living on the street. If you're living on a friends or relatives couch, you're homeless, because it's temporary.
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Old 01-19-2016, 12:48 PM
 
Location: Barrington
63,919 posts, read 46,615,875 times
Reputation: 20674
Quote:
Originally Posted by veezybell View Post
A lot become addicted to substances after they become homeless because it's something to do to pass time.
Addiction costs money.

It's challenging to hold down a job while in active addiction.

It's challenging to get a job while in active addiction.

It's challenging to pay your bills while in active addiction.

Homelessness is a common consequence of addiction, no different than incarceration and death.

Last edited by middle-aged mom; 01-19-2016 at 01:02 PM..
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