Something that shocked me

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I just found out something that really surprised me earlier last night!

There are many homeless people in my hometown of Seattle. That, I understand. However, I never in a million years would have guessed that any of them had committed crimes!

My roommate works with homeless adults. He told me that these people have had bad luck and/or bad choices. Even though I understand that, I never thought that the decisions that they had made were that bad!

Did they just become homeless as a result? Did it just happen that way? I don't know! That is a question to ponder!

Seattle's homeless problem correlates directly to their liberal policy of allowing people to live on the streets. This has been observed repeatedly in numerous cities over the years. In addition, much of the homeless population is mentally disturbed and would not be on the streets if it were not so difficult to force medicate such people or place them into institutions.

How do you know that? You're all the way over on the other coast!

Do you intend to come visit here anytime soon?

Maybe they commit crimes so they can get a warm place to sleep and three square meals a day (in jail).

No, I highly doubt that!

Do you intend to come visit here anytime soon?

Yeah, when school's out I'm thinking of hitting all the pacific northwest cities. Is crime from homeless people really that high?

should i say hail hitler or salute stalin?

Given that many homeless people are that way,
due to drug addictions, and just doing the drugs
is a crime, how can one be surprised?

Further, given that these drugs tend to be expensive,
and an addiction cannot be easily avoided, once again,
is it surprising?

Hell, it's illegal to panhandle in some places. More of
these 'criminal' homeless.

I'm not sure about crime from most homeless people, but I'm glad you are thinking of going to all the Pacific Northwest cities when you finish school!

Washington, Oregon and Idaho are just beautiful!

This is unfortunately statistically true. Not just in Seatle, but in general. The vast majority have mental illness and were unfortunate enough not to have caring and adequate family support to care for them and are unable to care for themselves.

However, it is getting harder all the time to find appropriate help & placement for such individuals as more and more mental health institutions are becoming privatized and cannot or will not treat individuals that cannot pay.


I would agree that drug addiction is also a severe problem among the homeless. And again: it's hard to find drug treatment and rehab if you cannot pay for such services.

I think many resort to crimes as they become desperate to their situaion and cannot care for themselves. Most homeless related crimes are either drug related due to severe addiction or related to trying to secure money for basic necessities such as food and clothing.

Really?

Feed a man a fish, feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.

Why?

Very true!

That's why most of current day solutions to social problems don't work. They are quick and temporary fixes that don't address the true underlying cause and effect.

In other words, could it be that we never know what to do?