Blog # 2: Its not my fault...
Homelessness is a big problem in the Twin Cities. Around Hennepin County there are about 3,000 homeless people. So how is homelessness going to be stopped? If people would stop being selfish, lazy, and irresponsible, perhaps this problem could be solved. People who are more fortunate and have the capability to help the homeless, should. But wait, what about those people who are homeless, don’t they also need to stop being lazy and irresponsible?
I am not saying that EVERY person who is homeless is lazy and irresponsible. Many of them are young children that can not help their unfortunate situation. Many are also women fleeing from abusive relationships. The people who are sincerely trying to fix their lives and become more responsible should all be helped. About 28 percent of homeless adults do have a job. Not all people are being irresponsible the truth is that many ended up on the streets because of drugs, alcohol addictions, lack of education, getting laid off and _________ (fill in the blank). According to the Star Tribune, “Nearly 40 percent of homeless people said they lost their housing because they couldn't afford rent. Mental health issues, chemical dependency, lack of education and incarceration were also cited.� In other countries homelessness occurs because of things such as wars, diseases, poorness, not enough education and various other reasons that are also prevalent in the Untied States, but the United States is not a third world country and I find it amazing that a country that has been so prosperous can still find people out on the streets. There are hundreds of jobs that people could have instead of begging on the streets. Their begging does not surprise me though. In Mexico, the government was trying to help the homeless by supplying jobs for them but the people rejected the jobs because they made more money begging on the streets.
So what can be done to stop homelessness? In order to prevent homelessness we first must get to the source of the problem. In order to really try to fix this problem people need to start getting educated from when they are little that having an education is important. Kids who are not taught from the beginning that drugs, too much alcohol, and laziness is WRONG will have a high possibility of ending up homeless or having other problems. But I suppose that telling anybody that they are wrong is a taboo in our society. They normally choose to blame it on something or somebody else. God forbid that it was really their fault…
If we build new shelters for people, eventually more are going to be needed. I’m not saying that we should leave people out in the cold but if shelters are to be built for the homeless then they should take part in helping maintain the shelters or showing that they are making an effort to get their lives straightened out. Along with building homes for people in need, let’s go back to that old fashioned way of thinking that people can be wrong. We need to stop passing the guilt to others. For homeless people I think we should feed them, clothe them, give them shelter, but not cripple them by giving them money or by supplying shelter without them making an effort to get a job, fix their lives, help the shelter by cooking, cleaning…etc. There is an old proverb that comes to mind when thinking of this situation: “Feed a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a life time.�
(Picture found at: http://mstabile.blogspot.com/2005/03/im-sure-that-this-homeless-man-whom-i.html)