Why homeless people tend to be "belligerent".

[SoCalDem]

Imagine yourself in your comfy home..If a cop (or anyone with authority) shows up at your door, and insists that you "go with them"..

Part of going with them, is this...

They will leave your home OPEN to the public that has gathered on your lawn, to watch the events taking place.

You know that when this is all "sorted out", you will return to your home, to find all your "stuff" gone.

Homeless people have very little of any consequence (to us), but to THEM, what they have managed to accumulate in their shopping cart, or their pitiful hovel, is everything they have in the world..

That ratty blanket, those plastic containers, that bag of crushed cans, that raggedy dirty coat..that's their total worth..

To them, those "things" are every bit as important, as your 52" flat screen, or your $1K laptop, or your designer handbags in your closet..

When they are routinely rousted off the street..often approached while they are asleep (or maybe inebriated), you bet they sometimes "fight back"..

ANY person who has graduated from a police academy, should be quite able to subdue just about anyone, without having to beat them up...especially after they have determined that the person is unarmed, and is lying on the ground..

[Taverner]

1. K&R

[laylah]

2. Thank you

for this post. How very true!

[4 t 4]

15. Can I ask you guys

out there in du land a question ? What if we tried to stamp out homelessness once and for all by starting with one state at a time. Aside for all the thing this country pretends to do, those things could continue as usual but what if we started with just one state and did all that needs to be done with extra for anyone coming into homelessness and pretty much got those programs set up the moved on to the next state. Part of the problem might be overall goodwill that really accomplishes nothing. what do you think. I live in Illinois can I start it with many peoples input and with a new President. what do you all think ?

[truedelphi]

17. I think that the latest estimate is that there are now over one million homes in the USA

That are lost. Not just "up for sale' and resident-less at the moment, but homes that are in dire straits because the neighborhoods that they are in are nothing but block after block of empty homes.

There has been talk, several months ago, that homes in such neighborhoods in Cincinnatti and Cleveleand would be bulldozed.

So why are we bulldozing homes when we have homeless people to fill them?

If Bush could sign one executive order after another, most of them concerning protections for Blackwater, Halliburton or else to initiate other laws that repeal our basic rights, why can't Obama start in with some Executive Orders of his own?

[SoCalDem]

18. See NOLA, post-Katrina

Municipalities can, and do claim eminent domain, bulldoze, and then let empty land sit, until prices go up..then they sell to developers and make nice fat kick-back bonuses..

Older homes that need TLC, are the first to go..

Cities have a vested interest in getting RID of poor people.. poor people COST them money, so they have no qualms about making life as hard as possible for those folks, in hopes that they will leave, and become some other place's "problem"..

[truedelphi]

21. Yes that is about it. get the poor out of the area, any and every area.

They make great campaign images - candidates working the soup kitchen, politicians promising to create jobs.

But day in and day out, the poor and the little they hold is up for grabs.

It is very discouraging. When the woman in New England had her case go to the SUpreme Court, in order for her to protest her town ruling eminent domain in order to seize her residence, not for some grand civic need, but for a shoppong mall, she wanted justice.

And the Democrats on the Court voted against her case - while one or two Republicans spoke out eloquently.

What it all comes down to - is both parties are the Money Party and neither party is the party of the poor, ore even of the middle incomed class.

[maryf]

32. "both parties are the Money Party" Hear, hear..nt

[4 t 4]

24. I agree but that's

a different kind of home issue many of the people have moved in with others and I'm sure many haven't but I'm talking about people that have not had a home, at all

[maryf]

30. I saw stats saying...

that there were 50,000 homeless in Detroit and 80,000 empty houses. At this time, why not??? Are houses really worth more than human life and dignity??

[EFerrari]

3. Homeless people deal with a 'flight or fight" response, just like everyone else.

What is this in response to, SoCalDem?

[Mari333]

7. maybe in response to this

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b20_1234380246

[EFerrari]

13. DUer annm4peace has been posting about Fresno for a long time.

:(

[SoCalDem]

16. Yep.. that's it..

When I worked at a grocery store, we had a homeless lady ("Mary") who "lived" in a small park next to the shopping center. We always allowed her to use the bathroom, and the service deli even fed her ..per the manager's instructions..


She was not old enough for social security (late 50's) ..

She had everything she owned in that cart, and would have the carry-out people "watch it" for her, if she had to use the bathroom..

Our manager tired his best to help her, but she was one of the ones who "fell through the hole in the safety net"..as far as housing..

[Journeyman]

27. It's unfortunate, but some fall so far through the "holes" they no longer want to return. . .

At a shop I worked at years ago, a homeless guy lived on the railroad tracks behind us. We did our best to get him interested in a job -- offered him all sorts of work -- but he wouldn't take it. He wouldn't accept any clothes or money or food or cigarettes we offered, either. Sadly, we finally realized he wouldn't accept our gifts, but if we left them outside overnight, he'd take them. Whether he wanted to avoid the appearance of needing our "charity" or felt better if he "stole" what he needed, we never found it. He stayed away from us for the most part, only came close when the lunch wagon came around and then, only to buy cigarettes. We surreptitiously tried to subside food for him from the truck, by agreeing with the driver to pay the lion's share if the homeless guy could be induced to "buy" something at a greatly reduced rate, but he just wouldn't.

One morning, we read in the paper that someone had stepped in front of the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner the night before.

[Mike 03]

4. Very sensitive post.

For what it's worth, so many of the homeless people I used to see were past the point of aggression to having accepted resignation and passivity.

There's only so much a human being can take.

Kick and Rec.

I'm glad you are here. You always have something worthwile to say.

[PA Democrat]

5. Also, IIRC about 30% of the homeless are mentally ill.

Thanks to the great Reagan revolution, institutions were closed under the guise of better treatment for people with mental illness, but there were and still are a lack of funding and services to help people make the transition into the community.

[EFerrari]

10. It's even worse than that. MIddle class people drop into homelessness

because the delivery of mental health technology is so f#cked up in this country.

[John Q. Citizen]

58. Absolutly. According to shelters and food pantries there are a lot of homeless people

working day jobs (or night jobs and being homeless in the day time) now. But they don't make enough to rent a house. It's hard to get a room with a family of four or five.

And lots of reasons, from health care bankruptcy or conditions untreated to losing a paycheck and getting kicked out.

There are lots more families on the streets now is what I've heard.

[EFerrari]

61. Single moms with kids fastest growing homeless demographic.

:(

[PA Democrat]

70. I believe that. I'm basing that on figures I heard a number of years ago

when I was involved in a county task force evaluating privatization of mental health insurance for Medicaid recipients. I represented consumers and we were dead set against privatization because we feared dangerous rationing of services which is exactly what has happened.

Health care is in crisis, but mental health care is inarguably in much worse shape.

[Beaverhausen]

14. No, it's only estimated to be 16%- please see the link below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=230x3924

[maryf]

26. Thanks for reprising that thread!

Its an important point to reiterate. So many avoid the homeless as they assume they may be crazy, its just not so...

[AZCat]

45. I avoid Republicans because I assume they are crazy.

Should I not be doing that? :shrug:

[struggle4progress]

19. If you aren't mentally ill when you become homeless, you still may be showing

signs of mental illness a few weeks later

Think about it: no easy place to shower, no easy place to pee, no easy place to wash your clothes or cook dinner -- and eating may be a haphazard thing; if you need meds, you don't have a safe place to keep them, and you may not even be able to afford them; lots of people will notice you look awful and stink, and they aren't always nice about it; you have to guard your possessions; if you sleep out in the open, you not only deal with the weather, you deal with the constant fear that somebody could stick a knife in you at any time ...

[maryf]

28. Grooming and stress

are both real hardships for the homeless and indigent, but do not constitute a necessary road to mental illness...and I've never seen any studies corresponding body odor and insanity, except that the depressed may not feel like cleaning themselves. For the homeless its a daily struggle to try to remain "presentable". This society places too much stress on "presentable" IMO.

[SoCalDem]

38. Our friends learned this the hard way..in Cancun

They went from a 5-star hotel existence, to being huddled in a concrete school house with about 200 of their "closest friends" for DAYS, after that hurricane a few years back..

They had to HUNT for fresh water, and for safe food..they slept on concrete floors, and had nothing but the clothes on their backs for FOUR DAYS..

Kenny managed to lose a shoe during the "escape" from the hotel, and ended up with a cut foot (no medical care) from something he stepped on in all the mud.

In a few days' time they went from ordering room service, to being thrilled to find some stale soggy soda crackers...

It's all relative:)

[RollWithIt]

42. Well, it's hard for someone like me, in retail, to hire someone who looks unkept or dirty...

But I totally understand what you're saying. A great example of that is that recent movie with Will Smith where he and his some become homeless and he ends up washing his sons body using a basement bathroom sink.

[struggle4progress]

46. Stress can certainly produce psychiatric symptoms, and social interactions

can affect stress levels. It is not uncommon for homelessness to be associated with loss of unemployment and family crises, both of which involve changed social status and stress. Socially-induced stress may also result from changed interactions with strangers, including clerks in ordinary commercial transactions and passers-by on the street, who may react to superficial impressions. It is not my claim that grooming or body odor, per se, are necessarily related to psychiatric problems -- but the person, who has been forced to live outdoors without regular access to clean clothes and showering facilities, will have a much more difficult time remaining "presentable," and this will result in additional stress as a result of unfriendly reactions

[maryf]

54. I agree

Which goes with my belief that we place too much emphasis on appearance, judging books by their cover? And the stress factor is exponential...Hopefully those reading this thread may remember that and try to see beyond both the stress and the disarray.

[graywarrior]

6. The homeless could teach us a thing or two about survival

[SidneyCarton]

8. Those of us who dwell comfortably in our homes, cannot understand the awful vulnerablity...

of those on the streets.

[TheDebbieDee]

9. Very insightful.................

[me b zola]

11. K&R

[wroberts189]

12. Jesus would be outraged

not that I can speak for him

[4 t 4]

22. I understand

all of your points but just asking what if we just try state by state as opposed to overall it's never been tried before could it maybe make a difference ? "Coming to the state you live in no need for homelessness " Would Obama be up for that kind of idea if it was led by the people to run it with of course political involvement cause they must be involved in fucking everything. Please more comments that are useful. Thank You.

[many a good man]

20. "Thank you for not being afraid" and for "treating me like a human being"

Those are the phrases I've heard numerous times when spending more than five minutes to chat with a homeless guy.

[Alexander]

23. And then there's the bum who stole several items of mine after we gave him a job.

After my roommate decided to be nice and give this homeless guy a job cleaning our yard, he stole a stack of my CDs and took them to a pawn shop.

Of course, I knew he was bad news from the beginning, as he was always drunk, walking around with his open 40s and bumping into everything. Yet my roommate thought it was a perfectly good idea until I caught the bastard.

Some homeless people just have bad luck, yes, and I have nothing but sympathy for the unlucky.

But let's not forget that many homeless people are there because of bad decisions they made with their lives. When you blow all your money on drugs and booze, get caught stealing things from people, and can't pay the rent, what do you think is going to happen?

[4 t 4]

25. can you blame him HE"S HOMELESS

that is my point eliminate homelessness If I was a betting man I would bet that wouldn't have happened if he wasn't homeless- No??

[Alexander]

29. He is homeless because he is a drunk and a thief.

He had been arrested many times for theft and public drunkenness, and roommates had him evicted for stealing.

He can't keep a job to save his life, because he either shows up drunk to work or steals things.

Your "But he's homeless!" excuse is just a pathetic attempt to whitewash someone's bad behavior.

I've known many homeless people who don't steal and who don't get drunk on a daily basis.

This guy's problem isn't that he's homeless, it's that he doesn't want to accomplish anything with his life.

If you want to waste your pity on him, go right ahead. Just don't expect me to.

[SoCalDem]

34. ...

[Alexander]

37. He was evicted from his home for theft, what do you want me to say?

That he's a poor, lost, innocent lonely soul and being homeless caused him to steal? It didn't happen.

Newsflash: Not all homeless people are deserving of your sympathy or support. Some of them made themselves that way.

[4 t 4]

50. My Point

great pic

[4 t 4]

35. Have you ever seen the movie

Trading Places and if so what do you make of it ? Not at all wanting to argue, Just Saying. What I really want to know is how you might feel trying a brand new idea and starting with one state at a time. sincerely Thank You.

[Alexander]

40. Nope. And fictional movies are not relevant to this conversation.

If I stole from my roommate, he'd have me kicked out.

If I stole from my employer, he would fire and possibly prosecute me.

If I showed up drunk to work, I would get fired as well.

And if I have an addiction, I am expected to help myself, either by kicking it or by taking myself to rehab. If I refuse to help myself kick my addiction, then I live with the consequences.

What about these concepts is so hard to understand?

Oh, right, "he's homeless" so that gives him a free pass on everything. Why don't I just give him my entire life savings, while I'm at it? :eyes:

[4 t 4]

44. Quite a few fictional movies are

based on real life. Your one of those "pull yourself up by your bootstraps and if not,fuck you" I don't mean for a second to downplay your disgust,betrayal or hate for someone that would do that to you when you were helping them.

[Alexander]

49. Actually I am sympathetic to people who are generally honest.

I have let people stay at my place for free for short periods of time. I was even okay with giving this drunken fool a job. But abuse my hospitality in any way and all bets are off.

[EFerrari]

33. Addiction is not a "bad decision" Welcome to this century.

[Alexander]

36. Stealing from your employer is not an "addiction". Welcome to Earth.

It is, in fact, "embezzlement" and a very serious crime.

Don't believe me? Swipe as much as you can at work tomorrow and see how your boss likes it. :eyes:

[maryf]

47. BAD Decisions...

That reasoning is what has caused this country to become a country of too many heartless and greedy people. If you have nothing but sympathy for the unlucky, why do you have to bring up this singular negative example?? No one is trying to say the homeless are saints here, but to take one example to try to tear down some compassionate thoughts makes no sense to me. A little compassion for the disease of alcoholism might be in order as well? FYI, alcoholism is pretty much as common among the wealthy and working classes as it is among the extremely poor in case someone gets the idea from your post that it affects the majority of homeless...It just doesn't...

[Alexander]

52. Please. This person's bad decisions caused his homelessness.

He was stealing things from his roommates and pawning them off for booze money. Game over, as far as I'm concerned.

"If you have nothing but sympathy for the unlucky, why do you have to bring up this singular negative example??"

Some people happen upon their own misfortune.

Some people cause their own misfortune.

The trick is to help out the former group of people, and stay far away from the latter. And yes, even homeless people can fall into both categories.

"A little compassion for the disease of alcoholism might be in order as well?"

If someone is an alcoholic, they should go to rehab, not steal from their employer. Maybe if this guy had tried to help himself a little more, he could've talked about his alcoholism with his roommates, who could've supported him and brought him to rehab.

But no, he chose to steal, lie and get drunk every day instead of trying to solve any of his problems. At some point, you have to take responsibility for your own life, and he never did.

[maryf]

55. Not my point...

My point was, why bring in one negative exemplar and go into great detail about it? By stressing this one person you are giving the impression that its the norm vs. the exception? and the stats show it is not the normal case...

[Ex Lurker]

62. Everyone in this country should have a home and an income

if they can't provide it for themselves, FOR WHATEVER REASON, it should be provided to them.

[SammyWinstonJack]

68. !

:thumbsup:

[maryf]

69. You got it!!!

Basic Human rights!!:applause:

[Bluerthanblue]

57. get real Alexander-

people don't CHOOSE to fuck up their lives.

I hope you never have to understand how cruel people are to those who are easy to blame and hate. "I knew he was bad news from the beginning as he was always drunk..."

No human being in their 'RIGHT MIND makes the choice to be addicted to alcohol, drugs, self-destructive behaviours. Maybe it makes you feel better to believe that, because if it's simply "a choice" then you can fool yourself into thinking that you would never 'allow' that to happen to you- but that doesn't alter the truth, that a healthy mind would NOT purposly choose to live the kind of life you seem to think "the bum" - "the bastard" you "knew" was bad news lives.


geez- ....!... again, I hope you never have to walk the path of those you choose to despise, and if you do, may you find more mercy and compassion than you seem able to show others.


:shrug:

[Hippo_Tron]

64. You should try reading Paul Wellstone's book

You might learn some fascinating things such as the fact that substance addiction is a mental illness not a bad decision.

[Luminous Animal]

65. Alcoholism is a disease...

people do decide to be alcoholics anymore than I decided to get breast cancer.

There are homeless folks because we live in a capitalist society and capitalism is competition and in every competition there will be losers. There are people who will never win a foot race, never win at scrabble, never win a boxing match, and never win at being a capitalist. The difference between the latter and the previous three is that we treat the latter like shit. There will always be a percentage of the population that will totally fail at capitalism. There would be a lot less grief (and a whole hell of a lot cheaper) for them and the all of society if we simply fed, housed, and clothed them.

[BlooInBloo]

31. I think it's because they have nothing to lose by being belligerent....

You'll never be in more danger than from a man who thinks he has no other 1/2 decent options, my dad always said.

[lilme]

39. I was homeless for 8 months ....

when I was 22 after something horrible happened with my father and I. Its was awful. Now that I am 30 and have a home nad a car and food, I am thankful for everything that I have.

I was lucky to run into a family that gave me a job and a place to stay. The man that helped me, gave me away at my wedding ( now single) and I bring my daughter to see them every chance I get.

It is strange how something stay with me though. I get panic-y when the food is running low in my house even though I have money now to go out and buy something but the pantry, fridge and freezer has to be FULL. Being hungry was painful.

[4 t 4]

48. Welcome n/t

[RollWithIt]

41. As someone who has worked the streets, about 30% to 40% of those I ran into were Mentally Ill

Those cops were complete assholes though. They should definitely be fired and arrested for assault.

[Missy Vixen]

43. Something really sad happened a few months ago, and I witnessed it

I was at Qwest Field in Seattle picking up a gift from the Seahawks pro shop for someone else on a Saturday afternoon. WSU's first football game of the season was being played at Qwest that afternoon.

Let's just say I am not a WSU fan. I am still shaken, though, over what happened to a homeless guy doing nothing more than lying in his sleeping bag on a slab of cement a short distance away from the thousands streaming into the stadium. He wasn't hurting anyone. He wasn't in their way. Those walking to the game, though, were yelling the most awful, cruel things at him. They must have felt "empowered" because of the sheer numbers of them, as opposed to one of him (and one of me, a woman that didn't have the strength to fight them all, or I would have.)

I do not understand how people can be so hateful and cruel towards someone who's already been kicked in the teeth by life. I also wonder why they think this type of thing is appropriate.

And for the poster who's wondering if we should start to end homelessness one state at a time, it's a start. There is a national plan to eradicate homelessness across the US in ten years. I don't ever want to stand on a street corner again and watch a bunch of monsters scream abuse at another human being because he didn't have a comfortable bed behind a locked front door.

[4 t 4]

51. Thank You I think

it might be a start too. One state at a time ?

[Ocracoker16]

53. Thanks for sharing your idea

I am all for ending homelessness forever. I am glad to meet somebody who would be willing to work hard to achieve this goal. The issue of homelessness is complex in many ways which make it hard to come up with a strategy that is guarenteed to be effective. There are many different schools of thought on how homelessness can be abolished.

I don't think that I can say one way or the other if the state by state plan would work. I would say that if I were designing a plan I would do a lot of research on previous approaches that failed. It is also important to understand why people are homeless.

If you are interested in a deeper conversation about your idea, I would invite you to start a thread in the poverty forum. You would not have to worry about people that are insensitive towards the homeless jumping into the discussion and changing the topic.

[maryf]

56. Hey 4 t 4, the number one way to eliminate homelessness

Is to provide affordable housing for all. The number one cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing! If you can get a movement to start providing more decent, livable, low cost housing for the poor, you'd be well on your way...Don't forget and keep saying it, the #1 cause of homelessness is lack of affordable housing, again, again, again...

[Ocracoker16]

71. Yes, lack of affordable housing is the cause of homelessness

Thank you for reminding everyone that there wouldn't be all these homeless people if there were more affordable housing options for working poor people. We have a problem in this country of people working hard at their jobs and saving their money but still being unable to afford housing. This is a serious problem across the United States, yet the government wants you to believe that mental illness and addiction are the cause of homelessness. Then they can generalize that all homeless individuals are difficult to deal with and are never going to be able to overcome their plight. Unfortunately, there are some people with mental health issues that include psychosis who refuse medication or any other kind of help. These individuals are kind of the exception rather than the rule, but the government still gives tons of money to programs for mentally ill and substance abusers that are homeless.

Those programs don't do anything for a good majority of the homeless who would just like a place to live that they could afford. The government doesn't want to deal with the housing issue. That would require them to do a lot of work and change our approach to housing. In other words, that would make the government have to look at themselves and admit their mistakes. It is just so much easier to maintain the myth of homelessness and throw some money at it.

We have to make sure that the dialogue with politicians emphasizes the issue of affordable housing. We can't let our government run away from this issue because it requires a systemic approach and they want to avoid a shake up.

[4 t 4]

73. Thank you I will

[Missy Vixen]

59. 4 t 4, we have an overabundance of available housing right now

The question is -- who is going to be able to persuade banks and mortgage companies to turn some of those houses over to homeless people who need a place to live? This would be a full-time job.

It would be a great thing if the "Extreme Makeover" folk would work on more modest homes, and help at least one family out of homelessness every week, too. I'd tune in. Talk about your "feel good" TV -- I can't believe some channel hasn't made a deal with Habitat for Humanity yet. What's more compelling than real-life people who are coming in out of the cold at last?

[SoCalDem]

63. Chandler, AZ. is buying up foreclosed homes and using them as low-income dwellings

solves MANY problems..

1) keeps flippers from grabbing up "cheap houses"
2) provides homes for people who have been on long waiting lists
3) keeps local property values from tanking even more, as too many "For Sale" signs pop up
4) rent coming in means that SOME taxes will be paid on those places
5) keeps kids in school, so federal money can help out
6) it's cheaper to buy foreclosed homes, than to BUILD low income places.
7) has a natural integration of families..rich and poor..into all kinds of neighborhoods..(not just clusters of "poor folks" in the ratty part of town)


Stimulus money should be allocated for this sort of thing..

[maryf]

75. Great Idea! nt

[Occam Bandage]

79. I don't think #1 is a problem, but as for the rest, fantastic. That's a great idea,

and one that should be pursued by more cities and states. A nation with both a homelessness crisis and a housing-market crisis is much akin to a man with two problems: he is very hungry, and he has a bunch of hamburgers he needs to get rid of. Why not use one problem to fix the other?

[Hippo_Tron]

66. IMO they should let the goverenment use some of them as a condition for getting TARP money

They wouldn't have to give the houses away, just allow them to be used for a temporary housing program administered by the government. Since the market sucks right now they aren't selling them and nobody is using them. Depending on the amount of TARP money received the bank will agree to let the government use the houses for X number of years at which point they get them back and hopefully for the banks the housing market will be better then.

And in the future when this whole TARP business is finished, the banks can lease the houses to the government for a substantially small rate given that that is still better than the houses sitting there collecting dust.

[4 t 4]

74. this might be a way crazy idea

but I currently have no job and this is so important I could devote all my time and energy and I live by Harpo studios maybe Oprah would see me and listen to what I have to say. If illinois could set an example who knows what we might have ? Also Obama's home state what could be better

[maryf]

81. Hey, ya never know!!

Give it a shot! what do you have to lose?? Good Luck!:fistbump:

[Stellabella]

60. Your house really provides you with a shell. They don't have one.

When you're that vulnerable, you have to be constantly on guard, constantly aware that you're in danger.

[Greyhound]

67. Rec for giving pointing out one of the many, many things most never consider

about being homeless, when they even bother to think about it at all.

[undergroundpanther]

72. Those who have

Like to think they will never become one of them without.

A kind of denial.A very selfish denial.A destructive denial.

As long as the fortunate can ignore or blame the unfortunate for being unfortunate, they'll never be forced to justify to their own conscience or other people,why they have so much,and the homeless have so little.

The denial of the fortunate to see they too are vulnerable really does undermine social justice.

[SoCalDem]

76. The recent downsizing of so many "formerly" middle class people, may

shed some light on the plight of poor people who have been there all along, but went mostly unnoticed.

[bobbolink]

77. You might want to reexamine that broad brush of yours!! DAMN, why all the

stereotypes?

Geeeez, and "progressives" consider themselves soooo much more aware than the RW.

:crazy:

[Occam Bandage]

78. Ah, the Noble Bum.

It's good to know stereotyping is just as common among liberals as among conservatives, I guess. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate any effort to consider the plight of people who badly need help, but unfortunately assuming that all are simply kind-hearted victims of circumstance is just as wrong as assuming that all are stupid, criminal scumbags.

[Terran]

80. Where in the hell

do you see the words "kind-heated victims of circumstance" in the OP? She wasn't talking about HOW people become homeless, and nowhere did I see any attempt to paint all homeless people as kind-hearted. Do you deny that you would act belligerently if you were in the situation she described? It's a post about human nature.

[maryf]

82. Why?

did you have to post that? I love the "don't get me wrong", I doubt anyone here got you wrong...:shrug: Oh and isn't it good to know that there are mean spirited folks here at DU?:sarcasm: