are you aware?

[catycatcat4]

because it is.

No it is not.

 

[BabyPiglet]

No it is not.

Then you won't get anywhere in this world.

 

[catycatcat4]

Then you won't get anywhere in this world.

its not how successful i am in this world is how many people i help

 

[BabyPiglet]

You won't be able to help anyone if you don't take care of yourself.

I plan on helping people too. But I know that I am most important.

 

[VMK_MagicalLadee]

I agree with the original poster.
I think we should help fix the world before ourselves.

Its my opinion. Don't eat me.

 

[crazy2beautiful]

How can we "fix" the world if we can't "fix" ourselves?

 

[VMK_MagicalLadee]

How can we "fix" the world if we can't "fix" ourselves?

Well. Im just saying, most people here choose to be poor. They get fired, or quit their job, then they're homeless. We have shelters they can go to.

Other parts of the world have nothing. Not even shelters. Not even jobs for that matter.

Anyway, before I get flamed to death, i shall leave.

 

[catycatcat4]

Well. Im just saying, most people here choose to be poor. They get fired, or quit their job, then they're homeless. We have shelters they can go to.

Other parts of the world have nothing. Not even shelters. Not even jobs for that matter.

Anyway, before I get flamed to death, i shall leave.

exactly the homeless here are like that becuse they got into bad stuff like drugs

 

[Sparx]

Well. Im just saying, most people here choose to be poor. They get fired, or quit their job, then they're homeless. We have shelters they can go to.

Other parts of the world have nothing. Not even shelters. Not even jobs for that matter.

Anyway, before I get flamed to death, i shall leave.

I've been poor before. You don't choose that. It just happens.

Go to a homeless shelter sometime. They're over crowded. They can only stay for about a night, due to teh crowds.

WOW A WHOLE NIGHT!!!

That means they're only on the street for the other 364.

...

You think we're just falling all over ourselves with jobs? Try getting a job when you have to leave the "residence" box blank on the application. No one wants to hire someone who's going to be dirty, hungry, and tired.

Yeah, they lost their jobs, henceforth no money, ergo, no home.

I honestly want to know why all of you think its so utterly simple...

 

[BabyPiglet]

Now, that's mature.

I'm being realistic, I'm helping to try and change things, you're still living in a little bubble like most of America.

Go out there and help, then have this conversation with me.

 

[VMK_MagicalLadee]

OK!!!!



Lets all sit down, have some tea. Stop swearing @_@, relax, sit in a massage chair, i'll put on some Queen, and we shall all just relax.

 

[Sparx]

OK!!!!



Lets all sit down, have some tea. Stop swearing @_@, relax, sit in a massage chair, i'll put on some Queen, and we shall all just relax.

I'm actually incredibly calm.

But sometimes people just need to open up their eyes.

 

[BabyPiglet]

OK!!!!



Lets all sit down, have some tea. Stop swearing @_@, relax, sit in a massage chair, i'll put on some Queen, and we shall all just relax.

I'm perfectly fine. And I swear all the time. It's me. Who I am.

 

[KathyTX]

Discuss your ideas, but keep your words toward each other kind and respectful.

Anyone who can't play nice needs to take a break for a while.

No insults, no personal attacks, no fighting. Just be kind.

 

[BabyPiglet]

Okay..Caty I'm sorry I called you pathetic.

I don't really know how to explain things without sounding cruel, so I won't try anymore.

But just know, I stand strong to what I said before (minus the pathetic part)

 

[RickinNYC]

exactly the homeless here are like that becuse they got into bad stuff like drugs

Caty, Sparx (Hi there!) and the rest, I thought I'd come to the board because of this thread in particular. I work for a non-profit organization that provides services to homeless adults in New York City. There are a few things you should know before making a "final" statement like yours.

Yes, you are correct, first and formost. A large number of people are indeed homeless due to drugs. But what you aren't recognizing is that those folks may have a pronounced mental illness. That illness leads to self medication, such as alcohol to "stop the voices" because, for whatever reason, they don't have access to healthcare (likely because of the high cost). And once that alcohol helps them, it serves as a gateway drug and could then lead to other drugs of choice and on and on. It's a cycle that our organization and one's like it are trying to end, one homeless client at a time. Mental illness, to voices, to drugs to stop the voices, to more drugs, louder voices ad nauseum. You see what I'm saying.

80% of of the homeless adult population is comprised of mental illness or chemical addition problems, but very likely, a combination of both, otherwise known as a dual diagnosis called MICA (mental illness chemical abuse).

Something else you and others should know is that in New York City alone, there are more than 34,000 homeless people. Just slightly more than 80% of that figure are actually families. Most people think of the typical alcoholic, grossly overweight man sitting in a doorway, clutching his cheap bottle of booze, muttering to himself when in fact, that is not even remotely close to the truth. They are families! And I am only speaking of one city in the United States. Can you imagine the numbers coast to coast?

The vast majority of homeless in the US are families with children of varying ages. All of you likely have a number of kids in your schools that are either currently, or have lived in, the shelter system.

Just food for thought. If you guys have any questions, feel free to PM me. If you would like me to continue as part of this particular conversation, let me know.

Otherwise, keep up the conversation. This is a difficult and very real situation in the US and in other parts of the world and I think it's amazing that the younger generation very clearly cares. The passion in most of you is so obvious by the posts I've seen here. Keep it up!

 

[Mickey1122]

I think we should make every effort to help BOTH. Yes, there are problems in this country, and yes, they should be dealt with. This is NO reason to preclude people from trying to help the rest of the world. Problems exist everywhere.

On a similar not, I urge everyone to watch and vote on American Idol tonight. Even if you aren't a fan, please at least call. For every vote, money will be donated to help BOTH Americans and foreigners (in this case Africans.)

 

[MuNkY]

I feel we should help our own needs before helping others.

If you have a cut, and people around you have a cut, you put the band-ade on yourself first.

 

[EeyoreFan1]

How, as an American, can we possibly help others if we have so many freaking problems ourself? I say we attempt to fix ourselves, then others.

 

[MuNkY]

How, as an American, can we possibly help others if we have so many freaking problems ourself? I say we attempt to fix ourselves, then others.

Exactly.

How can someone with a broken leg teach others to walk?