Thursday, October 7, 2010
Problem Posing Topic: The number of homeless people on the streets
I have chosen to write about the number of homeless people that are on the streets, not only in our city, but all over the nation. I have chosen this topic because it is someting that affects every person in nearly every country. There have been homeless people for generations, and there will continue to be homeless people for many generations to come if we do not help. This topic hits very close to home for me because my father was homeless for more than six months about a year ago. I am not asking for people to take in random men/women from the streets, but at least a little more compassion would be nice. There are those of us who mindlessly waste our money, myself included, without a care or a worry of when or where our next meal will come; whether or not we will spend the night our of the cold air. For me, this is just a very important topic that deserves a second look.
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Chelsea I am so interested in this paper already. The fact that your dad had to go through the pain and hardship that is so often connected to the homelessness experience is heartbreaking. I'm sure that was not easy for him or for you and your family to deal with. I think that this paper will absolutely be even more credible and informative knowing that you've had someone so close to you who has had to experience being homeless. It brings a whole new dimension I'm interested in seeing. I've actually volunteered at a homeless shelter in Los Angeles for about two years now and it's interesting to see how many homeless are minority males, I think that would be something that could also be brought up if you wanted to as well:)O and Chelsea I appreciate you're strength, it's very admirable.
ReplyDeleteThis is very truly a serious issue. I try to give a buck here and there to homeless people I see from time to time. But it annoys me when there are people out there who are scamming people, trying to make a buck off pity. I just want to play devil's advocate here. But I think a lot of the problem is the reason some people are homeless. They were alcoholics or drug addicts, some of them have mental disorders. That is the main thing that makes me evasive of doing more. I just wish I knew what to do for the one's who really do have bad luck and made a poor investments or things of that nature. Its just hard for me to know who really deserves the help...
ReplyDeleteI too believe that there should be more options for those who are homeless. I don't know too much about being homeless but I think there are not enough programs out there to help those in need. It's hard to get a job or even a meal when you are homeless. It is too hard for homeless to get help because the programs out there to help have years long waiting list(section 8) or don't have enough funding. I think maybe distributing pamplets and holding fundraiser dinners / concert would be a good option to reach out to college students.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest falacy about homelessness is that lazyness causes poverty. Historically, capitalistic societies have always resulted in extreme poverty for many. I recall reading about how Jesus Christ preached about helping the poor and that includes the homeless. One can argue that I'm a communist for saying this, but history has also shown that poverty has existed in socialist societies particularly the U.S.S.R and China as well. But its the not the homeless that are the problem. In order to combat poverty individuals need to change their attitudes about homelessness instead of brushing them off to the side and accusing them of being lazy drunks or drug addicts. Did you know there are laws in this country that prohibit feeding the homeless in public?
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say thank you to all of these posts, they really do give me hope that my little project will make a difference. For any of you who are interested, I am going to start something, with legal assistance, that will go beyond this class. Also, for the comments about alcoholism and drug use, this is a common misconception. I have the research that shows only about 1/4 of homeless people suffer from addiction and/or mental issues.
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