Why are people so ignorant about the homeless?

Question

Hell 70% of Americans are less than 3 paychecks away from losing everything and being homeless yet they act it could never happen to them.

I had a friend who was laid off and lost his home six months later. Was he addicted to drugs/alcohol? No!!! Was he lazy? No, he worked 60 hours a week before being laid off. He couldn't find a job because these picky-as-hell companies won't give anyone a chance unless they are 110% perfect and the temp jobs he found only paid for about a third of his expenses. The only reason he wasn't on the streets because I let him in and he just helps with some of the utilities.

Why are people so ignorant about the homeless? When you work for a living it could happen to you anytime.

This is what happens when a capitalist society and government views you as expendable!!!!!

Answer 1

Many people are ignorant about the homeless because of a few widely publicized stories by the media. Some examples:

A bank vice president of a bank in Wheeling, WV about 7 years ago. Despite making over $100,000 a year, he was out at the interchange for an interstate highway panhandling in a beat up coat and ragged clothes. When he was caught, he had $700+ on him after only being off work from the bank for 2 hours. This gives real homeless people a bad name.

Around 1990, there was a widely publicized story of a 30 year old near Columbus, OH who had bragged that he had quit his job several years before to live on the streets because he made enough panhandling while pretending to be a veteran to be able to travel to Florida every winter and return "home" to Columbus every spring to see his friends and family.

The media often fails to remind people how horrid the conditions are of true homelessness, or of how close many people are to being homeless. They focus on those who abuse the system, abuse our goodwill and make those homless people who are decent people who want to work and maintain a home but are merely down on their luck look bad.

I often volunteer at a local soup kitchen, and see all kinds of people there, many of whom come in and ask if I've heard of job openings, or just something they can do to make a few dollars. I see families come in week after week who have been housed separately in the YWCA and the YMCA 10 blocks away who would love nothing better than to have their own home again. Some of the people on the streets we've helped by taking them to a local truck stop getting them a shower and helping them get to interviews so they can try to get on their feet, but so often the media ignores this, focusing more on the scammers than those who need help.

Answer 2

People R ignorant.. they judge the homeless and those on "welfare" and assume that they are lazy or don't want to better themselves.. That is MOST of the time not true.. it's a stigma attached.. u see on Tv that homeless use the money they get for alcohol..therefore every homeless person is an alcoholic.. U have a few people that abuse welfare and so therefore ALL welfare rec. are lazy... I am on disability and I have been called too lazy to work. If it were not for me being on Sec.8 I would be homeless.. ss doesns't pay me enough for rent, little on food, clothes (I haven't bought new clothes or shoes in 3 years) med care, etc.. People are always the first to judge and say "it won't happen to me" or " I will never GO on welfare" but when it's that or starve or be homeless, people do what MUSt be done.. I understand the temp jobs... 90% of the jobs here are thru temp agencies (or McDonalds) and they have NO insurance, work part time, etc.. These companies will hire temps and work them until it's time to pay them benefits and hire them permanently and then they "let them go" to hire others.. People have no IDEA what it's like to NEED the help of others and all these IGNORANT people will one day (hopefully) find out what it's like ..it would change some attitudes.. (maybe not).

Answer 3

Single working, married both working, we all are 1-3 paychecks away from being homeless. Llive in an apartment, oh god hopefully not living in a home with a mortgage it can happen. I was told once to always have at least six months of pay in the bank but it can take a year to find a job and depending on the monthly expenses it is just better to live, save, pay cash for everything and make sure montly expenses can be paid even with a $10hr job.

Answer 4

The reasons aren't all that complicated. BTW--capitalism is not at fault, per se. Most societies treat their "expendable" populations no better--and some worse--look at Darfur!

Why people are so ignorant boils down to two things. One is apathy--its easier not to think about the problem--and to believe it's "those other people, it could never be me."

The other--and main reason is that no one in power wants the public to become aware of the causes of homelessness in America--becaause this is one "social problem" that was casused--and is perpetuated--by massive failures of public policy--it's one of the few really clear-cut problems that we know the exaact causes--and solutions.

The first cause began with a laudable idea back in the 1960s-early 70s. That was to "de-institutionalize" hundrreds of thusands of people (mostly mentally orintellectually disabled, but potentially able to take care of themselves with some support). The proponents envisioned a support system that featured residence houses where these people could live under supervidion--but could also interact with others, and even work. Well, the politicians liked the idea of taking the money they were spending on "homes for the incompetant" and spending it on other things-but they never got around to creating the support system to replace it. So now we have neither the support system, nor the institutions. So these people are homeless.

The other cause is a rerun of the above, with different players. In the 1970s, "urban renewal" projects razed many admittedly decrepit areas in americas cities--and with them the cheap rooming houses (flophouses, to use one term) etc. The pledge on the part of the politicians was to rebuild these areas as new business centers--AND to creat low-cost housing to replace the dumbs that many poor people had been living in. On paper, this sounds great--everybody wins. Well, they built the business centers and skyscrapers, all right. But not the low-income housing. And many cities no longer will zone areas for the kind of small scale rooming houses, etc. that could act as a substitute as they used to.

Politicallly,/socially, a lot of the reasons this happened traces back to the "conservative" shift that began in the 70s--but both political parties are culpable. Neither has been willing to face this problem and deal with it.

So what is the solution? Simple--the politicians should honor the promises that were made in the first place--residential homes for the impaired and low-income housing, plus revised zoning and ordinances to allow the private sector to provide cheap housing.

The conservatives like to talk about moral values. Well, it was they--or their parents--who did this--and who failed to keep their word. And, of course, the ones who complain about the consequences of their own actions the loudest.

Answer 5

Your added detail answered your own question perfectly. I lost a job I had for five years. It was the only thing I was qualified to do. I couldn't do it any more and had to re-build my life. In the process of, with no money coming in I lost everything. I sold everything I owned in exception to my laptop, modem, cell phone and car. I lived out of my car for a couple months. I bathed and cleaned my clothes in park washrooms early in the morning, was always cleanly shaved and dressed with clean clothes. Being resourcefull, I found an out of the way parking lot that had a working power outlet. Every night, I'd charge my cell phone, answer E-MAils and apply for jobs. Being able to use the internet and phone, no body knew I was on the streets. I managed to get another job and slowly saved enough to move back into an apartment. Getting work when you don't have a fixed address is allmost imposible. Not to mention the police harrass you non stop. In two months, I was harrassed by the police almost every night. Allmost arrested twice. Having a police record makes finding a job even harder. Society tossed me aside with little to no help. Every week I put a twenty into a change machine and keep the change on me at all times. When ever I come accross someone on the streets, I always give him or her a few bucks. In the summer, I go around the city and print out resumes for homeless people trying to help them get work. Society doesn't care for those less fortunate, so we have to.

Answer 6

Dan, because where is the support system for these people. Your friend had bad luck but he had support that kept him off the streets. I could be homeless too, but once again, before that happened, a friend would take me in until I got on my feet. I still have family to help me if that were to occur. Most of us have some support available to us, should the worst occur. How is it that all of these homeless people have no support?!?! They have no family that would help them, no friends, nothing?!!? I'm sure in some cases, that may be true, but too many are on drugs, alcohol, violent, or mentally ill.
In the US, most of us have been burned when we've come across someone who touched our hearts and when we opened our hearts and our wallets to aid our fellow man(woman too) we shortly learned that we've been scammed. I live in a major city and quite frankly, I'm jaded! I've heard so many scams that I just turn people off. Plus being three checks away from being homeless, I don't want to get 1 check closer to being homeless by being scammed!
I give to specific organizations, and I donate my time at shelters from time to time. I alone cannot give to everything, but I can do "my share". I suspect that you and everyone else reading this ,does their share too. I'm not going to judge or compare my deeds with anyone Else's as it's not fair or important.
I could find myself homeless any time, that's true, but then I have too many resources to keep me from being there. I'm not bragging, I'm thankful. That's why I love my Friends and family, for allowing me not to worry about what could be. You took your friend in, but what about some of these others out on the streets? Have you opened your door to them? I'm not attacking you, you did your part with your friend. How much more can you be expected to do?

My personal peeve is that the assumption is that I'm 3 paychecks away, but what if I'm 1 paycheck away? what if I'm less that a paycheck away. If I'm already fearing the possibility, the last thing I need is someone looking at me like I'm their savior when I'm a step away from becoming them. And then when the is a high probability that they are scamming me too......that is why a lot of people( not every one) have issues with the homeless. Its not so much ignorance, but in a lot of cases its due to past experiences.

Answer 7

What really concerns me is the number of veterans who are homeless. These are people who fought for this country. Shouldn't they be treated with respect and dignity? Also, some of the homeless are mentally ill. Is this how our society should treat them? As for your friend, a friend of mine is a geologist. When he was laid off, he substitute taught for two years before he found another job in his specialty. This might be an avenue your friend could pursue to put some money in his pocket for the short term.

Answer 8

I don't believe it is ignorance or lack of caring - it is fear, fear of becoming homeless and fear of the unknown that life may bring them. My believe of the homeless situation is that the Government should be more caring about the homeless and provide the needed housing for them and give them a hand, it is very shameful that entire families with children are homeless, a country that spends so much on foreign aid, should give aid to their own. Instead they are giving large Companies tax breaks, they in turn outsource jobs to foreign countries. The only chance of change will come in 2008, if people register to vote and vote for the person who will bring social change and justice back to our country.

Answer 9

ignorance is bliss I guess and the average person will take bliss over education and living in the real world. We have become a country and world full of idiots and the ones who are living the homeless lives are trying to send us a message about what could happen to us if we dont change our minds about ignorance. I find some of the smartest free thinking minds I have met have been homeless people and the most closed minded people I have ever met have mostly all been very well off. I guess when you got enoth money you can afford to make mistakes?

Answer 10

They dont realize what they go through every day and how the homeless people struggle for food and money. Dont worry about why all of the people are ignorant you just give them money or food when ever my dad sees a homeless person he always give that person some money because he could see himself in that position and likes to make somebodys life easier. Most people dont care because there financle life is greaat. Good for that person but not every ones life is like that