ham radio clubs illinois
They won’t leave us alone. As we walk to our jobs, our cars, wherever people gather, there they are, hand outstretched. Hey buddy, can you spare a dime? At the freeway entry ramp, there they are again, taking chances that could get them killed. Darting in-between cars just as the light changes, inviting loud catcalls or worse. They stand out with their disheveled appearance and disagreeable odor. As they get closer. we are gripped with a sense of aversion. We can’t run or hide, all we can do is walk fast and avoid eye contact, and hope for the best as we pass by them. Some seem to go out of their way to antagonize us.
Sometimes just watching them makes our blood boil. How can these people live like this, why can’t they just “get it together”? Oh, how we secretly wish they would all go away, disappear, begone forever. Wishful thinking, and it won’t happen. It would be better to examine the root causes of this. Has their self-esteem been so badly battered they’re convinced they cannot “get it together”? Drugs and alcohol seem to be an unbeatable problem for many of the homeless, and any available rehab centers are a revolving door for most. Still, if only a few are helped to improve their lot, it’s better than nothing. These few are an inspiration for all, especially the army of volunteers from all walks of life who refuse to give up on them.
Maybe they were abused as children, and are now abusive adults. More likely they are locked in an eternal self-abuse merry-go-round, thinking this is God’s will or God’s punishment for some terrible thing, real or imagined, that they have done. Mental illness also affects many in this hard-core group. Then there are those who are homeless for purely financial reasons. After living paycheck to paycheck for some time, a minor hiccup, a lay-off at work, the car tanked, had to buy medicine, whatever, and they’re broke. When the rent is due, the money isn’t there. The landlord that depends on that money won’t hesitate to evict. He’s heard it all before.
So it’s out in the cold and into the shelter, maybe with school-age children in tow. Homework and no home makes for a sad, stressful childhood. But upon closer inspection, or compulsive spending may be the culprit. And there are those who are just using the system, the lazy bums who don’t and won’t work.
We, as a kind and nurturing society, have a duty to help these people. All communities need programs geared specifically for each of these groups. What is the alternative? Let them starve to death on the street? That’s what despotic dictatorships do, and what happens in poor countries. No, not here, this is America, we take care of our own. We pay taxes so our social safety net will take care of these people. But this is a slippery slope. Should we feed, house, and clothe them without limits? Asking nothing in return? No matter what? No matter that they do nothing to improve themselves, taking all we do for them for granted? Are we doing a disservice to them by not demanding something in return? Don’t worry, however you mess up, we will always take care of you. Is this the message we are spreading with our good intentions, and is this good for our society’s future? Maybe some “tough love” is needed.
http://www.baygator.com Visit my blog
Hometown Happenings 1203
Community happenings…
