Homeless people break my heart

[Courtney]

This is my view and I will never be swayed.
After all, I'm studying to be a social worker so I can help these people

[Gunter S]

Originally Posted by tiedye

The "they tried drugs, they made the choice" line is completely valid. I say this from experience. I went through my own bout about 4 or 5 years ago and walked away from it cold turkey. Why? Because I didn't enjoy the lifestyle.

I have a friend who is bipolar and suffers from manic depression and, despite it, he has managed to try and use drugs somewhat regularly without succumbing to addiction. Whenever he noticed that he was using drugs as a crutch, he would come to me, a then heavy drug user, for help.

Everyone has the choice. For some, the choice is harder to make. For most, it's just easier to tell yourself that they had no choice and that's why they're addicted. It's hard to accept that the world is full of people with no regard for a healthy life.

what a convenient reason to hate anyone who isn't at the same level on the totem pole as you.

[tiedye]

I don't hate anyone, sir. I also fail to see what it is you're trying to imply.

edit: Perhaps you're trying to say I view those that couldn't win a battle that I did with hatred? If so, you're very wrong.

[tiedye]

Originally Posted by Courtney

This is my view and I will never be swayed.
After all, I'm studying to be a social worker so I can help these people

Good on you. I hope you succeed beyond all expectations. I also hope you learn that to be a social worker is to understand that every person is different and has needs and desires, preferences and dislikes, that are entirely different from your own. You seem to be intelligent, so I hope you also have the wisdom to overcome your personal views for the sake of your clients. After all, it's not about you.. it's about them. Going in with the mindset that "these are my views, they will not be swayed" will only cause a rift between you and those you try to help.

After all, my father's wife and her daughter have been social workers since well before they joined the family. I've been discussing these topics since I saw a man begging for alms for the first time with people who know these issues best.

[Courtney]

so does this mean we are getting a divorce?

[tiedye]

I was more thinking angry make-up sex.

[tiedye]

. . . too soon?

[Courtney]

ha
oh and I think you took my comment on never being swayed completely the wrong way. I meant i will never stop caring about the homeless issue. I understand that people are there for various reasons.

[tiedye]

Ah, well.. I stand corrected. That's one of the risks of debating on the internet. You never know if someone's calm or pissed either... unless they start swearing or flaming.

[tiedye]

But I still think you're just plain swell, my love.

[crookedking]

i think i feel a cyber session coming on!

[tiedye]

I even borrowed lildonkey's wizard hat.

[Gunter S]

Originally Posted by tiedye

I don't hate anyone, sir. I also fail to see what it is you're trying to imply.

edit: Perhaps you're trying to say I view those that couldn't win a battle that I did with hatred? If so, you're very wrong.

right. but we're also stupid if we care about people less fortunate than us. that makes so much sense.

[tiedye]

I don't think you're stupid for caring. I admire that. I do, however, think it is wrong to pity them.

[stabmyhead]

I love how everyone's like, "BE MORE OPEN MINDED, STOP BEING NARROW MINDED!" but then when someone has a different opinion from them, they throw the "narrow minded" card at them.

Is it difficult to believe that MAYBE there are homeless people that prefer to be living on the streets without a job or whatever, and MAYBE there are also homeless people that absolutely hate being there. It's obvious that the type of homeless person Courtney is talking about (being a social worker) is different than the type of homeless person Tiedye (being a social butterfly).

There's an infinite number of possibilities as to why and how someone could have ended up on the street. Not all of them are there because they grew up abused, are drug addicts, fucked up, etc. Some come from loving, caring families, in which case, I feel a lot more sympathy for the families and what the individual has done to the family.

[Gunter S]

Originally Posted by stabmyhead

I love how everyone's like, "BE MORE OPEN MINDED, STOP BEING NARROW MINDED!" but then when someone has a different opinion from them, they throw the "narrow minded" card at them.

Is it difficult to believe that MAYBE there are homeless people that prefer to be living on the streets without a job or whatever, and MAYBE there are also homeless people that absolutely hate being there. It's obvious that the type of homeless person Courtney is talking about (being a social worker) is different than the type of homeless person Tiedye (being a social butterfly).

There's an infinite number of possibilities as to why and how someone could have ended up on the street. Not all of them are there because they grew up abused, are drug addicts, fucked up, etc. Some come from loving, caring families, in which case, I feel a lot more sympathy for the families and what the individual has done to the family.

but tiedye's personal experience says different

[Digital Over]

Originally Posted by Courtney

ok seriously
my dad has been an on and off drug addict for much of my life
and trust me I hate him, i dont even talk to him anymore and i think he's so selfish and has had so many chances....and people like him I hate because I do believe that they have fucked their own life .......but thats personally, speaking medically most of these people have severe depression, bi-polar depression, mental illnes, have come from severe abuse as children etc. etc. these are all medically proven to be illnesses!!!!!
A lot of these people have come from homes that were not privileged in any way and therefore they were born into a life some of us would never have to experience...
if you come from nothing it is often hard to believe you can become something.....
if you were abused as a child and told you were worthless..chances are you are going to grow up believing this...
and without confidence in yourself...most times you will not succeed

I get so pissed off coming from north van so many people talk shit about homeless.....we don't know where they came from and what got them there.....didn't you learn as a child not to judge?!
Vancouver is pretty good about anti-racism and open-mindeness but when it comes to homeless we are a bunch of pretentious snobs
pisses me off

Probably one of the most spot on posts Ive read on this board in a long time.


First off yes, I feel the utmost sympathy for homeless people, but just on the point of having a few hard knocks and maybe a few runs at bad luck. The best thing about being filthy dirty (on more than one level) is having the desire to clean it up.

Years ago, I went thru a really bad substance abuse period, because I was either too consumed with a mundane, formulated schedule, I needed to escape, or it was just a means of experimenting/social purposes. I could have kept going down that road, and continued to experience many cheap thrils but it only takes a few blurry eyed mornings to realize the easiest way out wasn't the best. As cliche as that might be, its 100% true. Which is why (of course this does have its exceptions) I won't give homeless people spare chaqnge, not too be an arrogant prick, but to ultimately show them, that the easiest way out doesn't work. Hopefully its enough to snap into a desperation mode, make a 180 degree change, get a job, or do something for the economy, community, or whatever. Money will shortly follow, everyone knows what they're good at, its just a matter of time before one of those people put two and two together. I wish them all luck.

[tiedye]

Originally Posted by Gunter S

but tiedye's personal experience says different

Your attempt at finally posting something relevant on this board is failing miserably. I never said my personal experience is a the be all end all of addiction, I said it proves that drug addiction is not a one-way street nor is it an excuse for why your life is horrible. Get over yourself and read something.

[Ms.Tarantula]

this thread got really annoying.

thanks, fnk. you ruined it.

[miss.myra]

Honestly, just because some people on the streets prefer the life that they live and apparently don't want to live within the norms of society doesn't make it alright that too many people live that way and that's a horrible way to justify your own apathy towards the issue. A lot of people say that they like to and/or choose to live that way but chances are, a few bad decisions or some crappy circumstances have lead them to be where they are and they feel that they are so into it, that it would be impossible to integrate themselves into the 'norms' of society. Don't think that someone's complacency with where they have ended up means that they are actually happy with their own lives, those are two completely different things.

That whole justification also ignores the fact that the majority of people who are living on the streets have things such as mental illness and chronic disease that is not treated properly, if at all. People who are self medicating their own mental illness with street drugs are not happy, and I doubt I would really believe them if they said they were.

The thing is, people can say they don't care all they want. The funny part is that a lot of people out there that don't care, even people on this messageboard make decisions each and every day that could certainly lead them down the same path.

[esoter1c]

Originally Posted by Ms.Tarantula

Homeless people break my heart.

Then stop dating them.

[Gunter S]

Originally Posted by tiedye

Your attempt at finally posting something relevant on this board is failing miserably. I never said my personal experience is a the be all end all of addiction, I said it proves that drug addiction is not a one-way street nor is it an excuse for why your life is horrible. Get over yourself and read something.

what's to get over? why don't you acknowledge that people can have different life experiences than you and not everyone had a 'choice'

[Ms.Tarantula]

Originally Posted by 3507321C

Then stop dating them.

:amuse: I see what you did there!!!

[lildonkey]

bump for letting homeless people wash my car window and then driving off without paying...

and then coming back 30 minutes later, even though i'm not hungry, and eating mcdonalds infront of them and saying "MMMMM THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST BURGER I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE" really loudly...

[b0ld]

I like how some of these homeless people think they are doing a public service and all. Perfect example is them hanging out in front of the blarney stone holding a lighter out whether if anyone need's a light or trying to direct a car to a parking spot...