Gary Jules-Mad world [homeless people]

[angrycarpenter]

Run time: 03:04 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrPDVtxyiBk   Posted on YouTube: April 01, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 12, 2009 By DU Member: angrycarpenter Views on DU: 634

 
Today I turned on my TV to see a homeless man being beaten by a police officer. I am pretty sensitive about that sort of thing.

I was homeless for about three months back in the late 80s. I won't go into details but a blown up car engine lead to losing my job and then my place to live.

For three months I managed to hang on by working day labor and sleeping wherever I could, some nights I got to sleep on some kind soul's couch and get a shower but most nights I slept under an overpass on a couple of old smelly couch cushions. Finally I gave up and went home to my family. I had lost 20 pounds.

During this time all of the people I thought were my friends turned their backs on me. I never panhandled but just the act of walking down the road in my shabby clothes invited insults from people riding by in cars or worse. Once I was pelted by eggs from a passing car after a day of back-breaking labor for the princely sum of 32 dollars.

The people in the video I have posted have been thrown away by society. Teens beat them for fun. Cops wake them up and shout insults at them while telling them to move along. Most have no family to take them in and set them on their feet. Many have been homeless so long that they have forgotten even the concept of self esteem. The world has shoved them to the side and to most they are anonymous piles of garbage to be spit upon if they are acknowledged at all.

We should all accept the fact that the only difference between that man sleeping on the sidewalk and any one of us is the random nature of the world. Anyone of us could have been born into poverty or develop mental illness. Anyone of us could be held in the grip of addiction. Any of us could have been abandoned by family and society in the hour of our greatest need.

I have no solution to offer other than that we should act before people become chronic homeless. Most of these people were regular working poor at one time. They had jobs and families, friends and responsibilities. All it took was a couple of everyday tragedies and they were out on the street. After a while they give up just like all of us gave up on them.

[rwheeler31]

1. You are right to care. What is wrong with our MD's ?

[jwirr]

2. You know most of those people (including me) would very likely be

satisfied with a motel size room with a refrigerator and cooking area.

[Why Syzygy]

3. It is outrageous to me

that USofA have people with no place to live. Our land certainly has the resources and area. It's due to nothing more than lawful greed. A disgrace to us all.