Below is a discussion held with Merb34st today.
Just too much research involved to not publish it here.
Comparing modern homeless with ancient humans is a tad silly. If an ancient want to poo in the woods, no one would stop them. If a modern wanted to poo in your garden, you might have an issue. While it seems almost a certainty to blame homelessness on drugs, alcohol and lacking intelligence, serious as those may be, there are other factors to consider. Lack of affordable housing, lack of decent housing, (I mean clean, non bug infested dwellings commonly referred to as Slums.) But also consider the largely ex military personnel suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, seemingly abandoned by the government they fought for, and ignored by the people for whom they sacrificed mental health in service of. Domestic violence is another indicator of homelessness for women. Simply put; your understanding seems superficial and uniformed. The problem is not simply solved by mere speeches invoking the Protestant Work Ethics and strong motivation. The causes for homelessness alone need in-depth study and research. Merb, you are going into court without having read the file. The other counsel is going to clobber you with all the things you don’t know, have not study and thus far have not considered.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States#Causes
People in families made up 37.4% of the total sheltered and unsheltered homeless population in 2012 On a single night in January 2014, veterans accounted for about 11.3% of all homeless adults. During a 12 month period from October 2011 to September 2012, homeless veterans accounted for one in 156 veterans. In a 2014 survey of 25 US cities, 15% of all homeless adults were identified as survivors of domestic violence. All these facts take from:
https://www.nlchp.org/documents/Homeless_Stats_Fact_Sheet
By the same logic of preventing humans form pooing in the street, we should also be able to prevent dogs from do so?
https://www.cpha.ca/human-diseases-transmitted-dog-poop
Here is a list of possible contaminations:
Taking your argument to the extreme, because you are far more likely to get an infection, is that a cold or flu you are recovering from? And was it spread by the lady in your office who coughed? Should we not then also take your argument against homeless people spreading disease to your own civil office where, one can assume, all members have homes?
Just as it is easy to point a finger at an identifiable group that lacks power, such as in the news now;
“They’re sending people that have a lot of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” –Donald Trump
Point the finger at homelessness is based on ignorance and fear. Threats of disease from pooing in the streets is fear mongering. I assure you that no one wants to take a dump on your street. They would, I am very sure, much prefer to do so in a warm, clean bathroom with toilet paper. Living on the streets is no choice, not a lifestyle option and is certainly something that we can do to prevent and ameliorate today, should we have the political will based on information, knowledge and sufficient commitment. Jimmy Carter has been on a quest to help resolve the American affordable housing crisis. He started this back in 1977.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2690151/
The problem has only gotten worse.
Since families made up 37.4% of the total sheltered and unsheltered homeless people, the problem is not drugs or mental issues for them but affordable housing. They stay homeless while holding down jobs and going to school. Affordable house is a crisis in America
The crisis is coming. From elderly, to veterans to the simple increase in rent, people are going to be forced to the streets. Ignoring the issue by creating some false divide that is not found in the statistics will not help the matter.
When the fact are against you, argue the law.
When the law is against you argue the facts.
When both the law and the facts are against you… bang on the table.
It is not so much as the house burned down, it is more they increased the rent and I cannot afford to pay it any longer so they kicked me out. In Some states, I heard this on a Rich Dad, Poor Dad audio book, so consider the source to be weak indeed, Arizona they said; “If your rent is not paid on the 1st, they can take you to court on the 2nd and be out by the third.” Obviously an exaggeration of the timeline but the meaning is clear. Pay up or get out. This is a crisis.
Once you are kicked out, the next place will ask why? Or check and see, for non payment? Next renter pleases! Sorry we gave to someone else. And while there is a racial component here as well, such as Donald Trump and his father would not rent to black people until forced to by the DOJ. The people in crisis are of all ethnicities.
The common factor is economic, the cost of housing, the increasing costs. The lack of living wages being paid and the lack of progress in wages despite a 20 fold increase in productivity by Americans, they received none of the benefits
But why take my word for this, let’s ask the American Bar Association. They might know a thing or two about court rooms?
New York times?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/27/us/politics/hud-affordable-housing-crisis.html
https://www.investors.com/news/economy/affordable-housing-crisis-housing-bubble/
US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447149/
https://www.thenation.com/article/give-us-shelter/
“There’s a clear link between a lack of places to live and the number of people sleeping out of doors at night. And the solution is clear, too: Cities need to double down not just on homeless services, but on building more affordable housing, and quickly.”
Your notion of homelessness being a result of social defect such as drugs and alcohol or mental issues is rapidly being outpaced by reality, the people who were promised the middle class dream of a house in suburbs are now living in shelters, in their cars parked at Walmart or in a tent with a small blanket so they can carry it around as they are forced to move by police.
Without a fixed address many cannot even vote to get effective change. So who brings a voice to the voiceless unless people stand up who have a platform to speak? You have such a platform, so speak up.
poetoftruth 