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Originally posted by hadriana
reply to post by Blaine91555
I've known a few homeless folks and they were none of those things - of course some were, but not all.
I used to work with the mentally ill and have volunteered at a homeless shelter, and this is just not my experience at all.
Originally posted by Blaine91555
reply to post by Amanda5
You clearly have a wrong take on the United States. Anyone homeless here is homeless by choice.
I think many from other countries do not understand the abundance of resources here to help people. I think the reason is other countries do it all through taxation and the government is a genuine Nanny, while here we give and give and give privately. My Wife for instance hauls a truckload of food to a local food bank once a month.
Our homeless are mostly mentally ill who refuse housing along with drug addicts and alcoholics who also refuse housing.
As to the empty houses, why should people who choose to work pay and those who choose to stay in the streets because they are addicted to drugs or alcohol get free housing? Enabling them is the stupidest thing any society can do. You may as well stick a gun to their head and pull the trigger. Not to mention the unfairness of it.
There are millions of job openings at all times in the US. Problem is they are jobs the "Takers" refuse to do or to learn to do. Anyone going hungry is doing so by choice. There are food banks and kitchens everywhere. In the cities they can eat many times a day if they wish. On top of that they get Food Stamps and if they sober up they get subsidized housing. Subsidized out of our pockets of course.
It's a shame all the lies about America are out there and that so many self-loathing Americans lie to enforce them. Often those lying are the same drug addicts and alcoholics or from the I'll live in my Mommies basement until she dies crowd. The Takers.
Come visit sometime and see the truth. America is still a wonderful place were at least 80% of us are doing just great and in most cases better than nearly the entire world. If you need help, there is no better place to be than here or Canada for that matter. We as a people give and give until it hurts and have always done so. Not all of us have turned into Alinsky Progressives who want the State to do everything.
Two of my employees are handicapped. The gentleman who cleans for me is in a facility for the mentally ill and I make sure he earns enough to take care of his personal needs. I raised about $350,000 for charity last year. I am a fairly normal American. Please don't judge us by haters words and the spin you see in the news from fanatical Progressives. To call their spin lies is an understatement. As to those who don't live here who hate us, what can anyone say about that. They believe what they believe, because they want to believe it and we just happen to be who they picked out to hate.
edit on 1/2/2012 by Blaine91555 because: (no reason given)