We were stopped all over downtown Portland by white street kids and asked for money?

[Yankeemama]

Yes!

Originally Posted by EnricoV

True. But I then, think how they recover from bad choices is an indication of the type of parenting they had.

[TDNY]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

True. But I then, think how they recover from bad choices is an indication of the type of parenting they had.

I think that is very true.

[Craigzilla]

Originally Posted by NeutralZone

Let me get this straight- you want MORE homeless street kids?

If they are runaways or homeless because they have been abused, victimized, mentally ill, or simply unemployed and down and out, then they are deserving of our sympathy.

And you want more of them.

So, that means you want more young people to be abused, mentally ill, and unemployed.

If they are runaways or homeless because they abuse alcohol and/or drugs, then that involves some choice on their part and they are possibly less deserving of our sympathy.

And you want more of them.

So, that means you want more young people to be alcoholic and/or drug addicted.

If they are runaways or homeless purely through choice (whatever their reasons), then they are not deserving of our sympathy.

And you want more of them.

If they are homeless purely by choice, because they want to "drop out" of society and take no responsibility for their lives, then they have absolutely no moral claims on the rest of us. They are not "ecclectic". They are lazy and irresponsible. They make no contribution to society.

Portland is the city it is because of the hard work of the vast majority of its inhabitants. They are the ones who peacefully enjoy the city they live in.

I find it funny that you claim they're all abused, homeless, drug addicts, who commit crimes, yet you don't actually know them. That could very well be the case with some of them absolutely. Shoot, maybe even the majority. But to assume that about all of them? That's wrong. I find it even funnier you're totally taking the time out of your day to try to twist the words I said to try to win some online argument on a message board. Seriously dude....it's a message board. Relax.

And what your opinion of lazy or irresponsible is, may be different from someone else's definition of it. If I see a homeless street kid, I don't instantly assume they're lazy. Or trying to be eclectic. I assume that they have a story to tell just like everyone else. Maybe that story will **** me off. Maybe it won't. But just like someone said to me above that I shouldn't assume things are fine in Portland until I walk a mile in the shoes of those who live there, you as well should not assume things about those you complain about until YOU walk a mile in their shoes. No one sets out to do things the wrong way. Even the worst, most despicable people in the world believe they're doing the right thing. Hearing someone's story can really change your perspective, rather than just assuming something about someone because you had a negative experience with someone similar.