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• What do you propose be done about it? (Score:2)

  by pudge (1)

  For the record, I am against all federal assistance for the homeless, because it is unconstitutional.
  
  I am in favor of having private charities do most of the work for helping the homeless, and prefer the government stay out, but I do see some small role for government.
  
  You talk of compassion: the government is not supposed to be compassionate. That is not part of its reason for existing. It never has been, and what's more, it is actually incapable of it.
  
  You can vote to take care of homeless people. That's
  • Re:What do you propose be done about it? (Score:2)

    by Ovid (2709)

    With all that in mind (or not), what do you propose be done about the problem?

    Which problem? The problem which pisses me off here -- and that's the one the root post and much of the thread is about -- is people's attitudes. There's no way people will voluntarily help the homeless via charity, direct action or the government if they assume the homeless are mostly just lazy and unwilling to work. If you can come up with a way to get people to realize that there just might be a bit more to life than the
    • Re:What do you propose be done about it? (Score:2)

      by pudge (1) on 2005.11.01 20:33 (#44305) Homepage Journal

      The problem which pisses me off here -- and that's the one the root post and much of the thread is about -- is people's attitudes.
      
      Ah. I thought you also were bemoaning the lack of government assistance. But you appear to be saying the first thing to do is change attitudes, and the details of the help that follow such a change are not the point.
      
      The ensuing discussion kinda threw me. :-)
      
      As this is primarily about attitudes ... then yeah, I am with you all the way. I just this weekend heard an interesting interview by Ryan Dobson [ryandobson.com] (son of Dr. James, and friend of mine from college) with Mike Yankoski of the book Under The Overpass [amazon.com] (also its companion web site [undertheoverpass.com]). It's from a decidedly Christian perspective, but it's an effort to do just what you're talking about. Mike voluntarily became homeless for five months, and he now attempts to help others understand better what it means to be homeless, and what they can do to help.
      

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