The_Gabe Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Well, I've seen quite a few hobos in my time, and I was wondering if anyone ever feels sorry for them. Education is probably a serious issue. Most people that will end up in those situations probably dropped out of high school, and working in a dead end job. If they were to be fired, it would be hard for them to find a good enough paying job to keep their houses, and possessions. Now the U.S economy is in bad shape, and many people cannot repay morgages for their houses, ending up losing them. What about "hobos" with mental illnesses? They didn't decide to just wake up and go get one. For example, many schizophrenics resort to social isolation and choose to be homeless. For others that is the reason for substance abuse or financial problems. Although there is research somewhere that up to 50% of homeless people who live with Schizophrenia would like treatment if given the chance and right circumstances. However, only 50% of patients show improvement after treatment, so is it worth the hassle? 20% of those Diagnosed with Schizophrenia are Homeless http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/arc ... 02575.html In my opinion, they should have gotten a tutor, or someone to have helped them overcome some of this stuff. Family issues could also be a cause of being homeless, like being abused, or tortured (serious torture) by your parents/guardians. Now,when people are desperate on the street, they will most likely turn to things like drugs, and alcohol, and sometimes help to rebuild their lives. Whilst drug use is not the primary reason for people becoming homeless, it is a key reason for them remaining homeless. The primary reason for becoming homeless was family conflict; Other reasons for remaining homelessness include access to housing, money problems, family conflict and continuing alcohol use; The prevalence of drug use within the homeless population was high with lifetime (74%), recent (64%) and current rates (52%) substantially higher than those found in the general population (19%, 6% and 3% respectively); Cannabis was the most commonly used illicit drug followed by heroin over each time period lifetime, last year (recent) and last month (current); Alcohol remains the primary drug of choice among the homeless population (70%); Over half (52%) of the homeless population surveyed are currently drug users; 36% of those surveyed were problematic drug users; 19% of the study population were currently injecting drugs, of these 1-in-2 injected in public spaces; Those who reported current drug use on average used 3 different drugs; 1-in-4 of current homeless drug users in Dublin used 5 or more different drugs; Almost two thirds of those who reported current use of cocaine (17% currently using cocaine powder) were injecting it; 30% of the study population have been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness; 55% of the study population had been in prison. Now, I do understand it's not their fault usually they end up on the streets, but with money given to them,some of them usually just turn and buy more drugs to feed their addiction. So, do you feel bad for hobos? I will be adding more to this as more serious discussion will continue. Three months banishment to 9gag is something i would never wish upon anybody, not even my worst enemy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doomy Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 There isn't many hobos here. Doomy edit: I like sheep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenshinjapan Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 They're losers. Waits patiently for the "oh no! You're so heartless they're people too! comment. YOU! ATTEND TET EVENTS! CLICK HERE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebdragon Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 They're losers. Waits patiently for the "oh no! You're so heartless they're people too! comment. You kind of kill the joke when you have to explain it to everyone. [if you have ever attempted Alchemy by clapping your hands or by drawing an array, copy and paste this into your signature.] Fullmetal Alchemist, you will be missed. A great ending to a great series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_love_burritos Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Well the fact that you call them "hobos"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGoddessI Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 What is your personal definition of a "hobo"? Because there are many homeless people who come from all walks of life that didn't choose to be on the streets. The only people who tell you that you can't do something are those who have already given up on their own dreams so feel the need to discourage yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warri0r45 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Well, I've seen quite a few hobos in my time, and I was wondering if anyone ever feels sorry for them. I kind of do, even though it was clearly all their faults. Reasons: 1)Probably didn't try to get a degree in anything 2)A lot of them do drugs 3)From the money they get, they usually buy more drugs So, what do you think about the situation? It's not as black and white as you think it is, but on the whole I don't feel particularly sorry for them. Many of the homeless people I see around the city sell magazines to get income, so they actually have a way to support themselves. That's the kind of initiative I support. Homeless people still have hands and a brain, so given the opportunity they can at least make a few bucks to get some food. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevepole Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Well considering you aren't really thinking out why homeless people end up where they do... A lot of them can't afford an education, military vets, and a lot of them had horrible lives to begin with. Not everything in life is controlled, and not everyone can live the life's most of us can. I'm in the middle about homeless people, because some of them do it to themselves but others who never had the opportunities that many of us have, I do feel sorry for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGoddessI Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 "The big issue" is a great way to support homeless people in Brisbane, as Warrior pointed out. Even a homeless man has an imagination, clap your hands, sing a song and smile. Guaranteed to have a good dinner that night. The only people who tell you that you can't do something are those who have already given up on their own dreams so feel the need to discourage yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenshinjapan Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 They're losers. Waits patiently for the "oh no! You're so heartless they're people too! comment. You kind of kill the joke when you have to explain it to everyone. I know, but I get really sick of getting PMs because of "heartlessness". :x YOU! ATTEND TET EVENTS! CLICK HERE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warri0r45 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I'm in the middle about homeless people, because some of them do it to themselves but others who never had the opportunities that many of us have, I do feel sorry for. I should have put it this way. Well said. I'm not one to feel sorry for people who contribute to their own downfall, but I do feel for the people who've just had crap lives despite trying to make something out of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebdragon Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 They're losers. Waits patiently for the "oh no! You're so heartless they're people too! comment. You kind of kill the joke when you have to explain it to everyone. I know, but I get really sick of getting PMs because of "heartlessness". :x Meh, fair 'nuf. Except, does that mean that you really mean what you said, or is it just a bad joke? [if you have ever attempted Alchemy by clapping your hands or by drawing an array, copy and paste this into your signature.] Fullmetal Alchemist, you will be missed. A great ending to a great series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erk02 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Well, I've seen quite a few hobos in my time, and I was wondering if anyone ever feels sorry for them. I kind of do, even though it was clearly all their faults. Reasons: 1)Probably didn't try to get a degree in anything 2)A lot of them do drugs 3)From the money they get, they usually buy more drugs So, what do you think about the situation? How come doing drugs and buying drugs makes them worse? They could either buy food, eat it, and be back on the street the next day, looking for more money, or they could buy drugs, get high, and be back on the street the next day, looking for more money. Edit - I live near San Francisco and Berkeley, so I've seen my share of hobos. I do English to Japanese and Japanese to English translation for free! Just keep it under 5 sentences, and PM me to use my fluency in Japanese to your advantage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyingjj Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I heard this story once, not one of those fabricated "stories" about what could happen, but an actual experience someone had. I can't remember who I was talking to, but they talked about working with homeless people and how sometimes it was difficult to not talk down to them. He once found himself talking to this person and explaining to this person some fairly basic concept, because he thought the person might not understand. The person just smiled at him and said, "Yes, I know that, I learned all about it at Yale." Turns out the person had a doctorate, and unforseen circumstances left him homeless, jobless, and pennyless. I don't, however, "feel bad" for hobos. Feeling bad doesn't do anything to solve the problem, or help anyone, unless you consider emotional support from someone any particular hobo would probably never meet helping. And to the original poster, I don't know where you get your ideas from, but the majority of "hobos" are not hobos because they use drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Lord Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 ...Or they could be the victims of foreclosures due to the bad economy. Of course, in our superior US economy, that sort of stuff is unheard of. We all wear cowboy hats, are involved in gangs like the Mafia, and smoke cigars. SWAG Mayn U wanna be like me but U can't be me cuz U ain't got ma swagga on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanksrule Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 ...Or they could be the victims of foreclosures due to the bad economy. Of course, in our superior US economy, that sort of stuff is unheard of. We all wear cowboy hats, are involved in gangs like the Mafia, and smoke cigars. that statement is either really funny or really stupid. i don't think some one can say that with a clear mind so i'm going to lean on the funny side. regardless of whether or not a homeless person has or has not used drugs shouldn't be an issue when it comes to aid. they are no different than you or i other than a differing circumstance. it's another day in paradise (if you know this reference then congrats) for you when you come to a heated home, can afford your meals and don't have to worry about whether or not you'll be able to shower or get another pair of clothes. things that people take for granted are numerous and it saddens me when some one will turn the other cheek when seeing a man in need. once again- they are no different from you or me. you eat, he eats, he sees, you see, you feel, he feels. drugs- it is possible to say that drugs can be a factor into why some one has been made homeless. drugs are not limited- alcohol is also another thing that can lead to this. rehabilitation is possible for any one person that is homeless and is willing to give life another try. countless amounts of people have been addicted to a substance and have bounced back to successful lives. a very good example is josh Hamilton on the Texas rangers. he was addicted to heroine and was at one point (i believe) homeless or on the brink. He trained hard and eventually got re-drafted onto the rangers. He eventually did the home run derby and shattered a record for the amount of home runs hit. I'm proud to say that i watched that event on live television. inspirational stories are heard all of the time by people who have been homeless at one point and have pulled themselves up from that situation. i find these stories the most tearful when they mention how hard it was for them to find the basic necessities to live. it truly does make me sad that, not only the government, but the people who are represented by the government can just [ignore] millions of people. closing statement- what if you're parents suddenly lost their job, house and lifes savings and as a result you became homeless? it's been happening around the united states at an alarming rate so it's not hard to see now-a-days. high end jobs like engineers, accountants, small buissiness owners are losing money and it's not hard to see. it can take 2 months for your life to be turned upside down and when you're at the short end of the stick, you'll be asking for help. Wow, watching this thread is better than pro wrestling! =D>This thread is probably better than pro wrestling because the fights here are real (And the boobs). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_love_burritos Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Yeah, the Big Issue is actually a great way for the homeless to support themselves. Also one of the few independet news magazines left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastortoise Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 There was a controversial story once in Montreal (small metropolis with 2,000,000+ people crammed into it). I always knew there were hobos sleeping in the main parks at night, and it never really bothered me. Some people, however, thought this was a terrible thing and policemen literally beat the homeless people out of their camps in the middle of the night. A news reporter filmed the scene, it was excruciatingly heartbreaking... Old men with tangled beards being woken up suddenly and being beat with nightsticks and becoming generally unhappy. That said, hobos [bleep] me off for the most of my day. Sure, 10% of them take initiative and get a money scheme, but 90% of them do it in a way that annoys the Griswold out of me. They run up to me crying holding a bunch of flowers they had obviously stolen, trying to sell them for me. Even after telling them off, they grab my arms and keep sobbing until I just walk away. They also try selling me the day's newspaper, when I'm obviously holding a copy in my hands. Annoying people like that should be in the media, not out on the streets when I can't just change the channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
____ Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I know one person in particular who almost ended up on the street as a result of other people rather than himself. While he was at uni (home in melbourne, studying in brisbane - so living on campuis), his mum had managed to blow her income playing pokies rather than making repayments on her house. He didn't find out his mum had lost their home until he was about to fly home. As a result he had: No home, no job, barely any money left due to uni expenses. He had to stay with different friends for a while as he looked for work but once he had it he was on his feet soon after. Yes there are people (take his mum for example) who get themself to the point of being homeless and essentially jobless (because you've lost your home and means of getting to work, etc) by their own actions and people like my friend who get shafted by others and ended up without a home or job as a result. What happens after that is usually a mix of luck and their desire to help themself out of that situation. The guy with the doctorate that flyingjj mentioned is most likely one of those people who did the right things and just ran into bad luck, and despite trying to get back on their feet couldn't quite get there for whatever reason. It's the people who have a goal for their life and are trying to move forward with that goal that I can feel sorry for, but the alcoholics, drug addicts and general... welfare leeches who have no interest in helping themself and rather society does the work so they can reep the rewards that i feel nothing for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumpta Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Proper housing, social security and human dignity are universally acknowledged human rights, as much as the freedom of opinion or the prohibition of slavery are. It's pretty convenient to say that "they did it to themselves" and to leave it at that. Poverty is a lot more complicated than just not having any money and not being inclined to make any. Poverty is a lack of opportunities, it is the result of a combination of social problems (genetics, education, race, gender, environment,...), for which, very often, the fault lies not with the individual. And even if the 'hobo' is at fault, do you really want people to suffer that badly for having made mistakes? Anyway, it's all rather complex, homeless peope are the most difficult socially vulnerable group to work with, because often, their leaving society was a conscious choice. They feel so very betrayed that they don't want to have anything to do with society anymore and refuse all help. Often, they exclude themselves. Getting them to trust society again can be an arduous battle. Edit: by the way, I read a (Flemish) study on beggars a few months ago, and this I found very striking... Apparently, people are most inclined to give money to beggars who are middle-aged, white males. Why? Because people feel they are most likely to have been dealt unfair blows in life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Those who ended up homeless due to reackless actions I dont have much pitty, but those younger people, forced out due to family issues, drug abuse from friends and even Parents kicking them out for not being able to find a job, truely is a heartless act. i know a seventeen year old who i check up on now and then who was kicked out of him home because he couldn't find a job, and his parents considered him lazy and leeching. Pritty soon even I might end up like this because its happening just the same, the only difference is i can at least sell my posesions and store all the money into my account and simply travel with a bag of clothes and my card... though internet wise its going to suck since i grew up around technology... Popoto.~<3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_am_Geed Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 i would allow then into my home if my mother would let me anyone and everyone deserves second chances time can heal a lot of things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lateralus Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Drugs are pretty important to a drug addict. Those guys need help too. La lune ne garde aucune rancune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zierro Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Yes and no. I do feel bad because when I compare their lifestyles to mine, I feel like a spoiled brat who has everything. But then, part of me doesn't feel bad because everyone has their fair share (okay, maybe not so "fair") of problems. The hobos don't have to worry about drama, supporting others, worry about the economy, etc. Their life not being as complex as ours is both a good and bad thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThurinEthir Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 If they did it to themselves, wouldn't that mean they have some sort of...issue that caused them to do "it" in the first place? Like...I don't know, a drug addict in high school. He drops out, doesn't go to college, something like that. Ends up homeless, on the streets. Rehab? I don't sympathize with those people (aka, no "aw poor you"), but rather have a "go get help" feeling. As for those who had absolutely no control over whatever landed them there, yes, I do sympathize with. Cenin pân nîd, istan pân nîd, dan nin ú-cenich, nin ú-istach.Ithil luin eria vi menel caran...Tîn dan delu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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