Homeless people should not be able to have dogs.

[Snee]

Oh noez, it's the stroke-smilie

[S!X]

What I dont get is why would they have dogs if they can barely take care/feed themselves?

[peat moss]

What I dont get is why would they have dogs if they can barely take care/feed themselves?

And why is it we kick people when their down ? The dog probably eats better that the human. I was down on my luck many years ago after a failed marrage. Lived in my truck for a spell , would of gave anything for a warm pooch beside me keeping me warm at nite. Don't think after seeing his kind loving eyes I could eat the poor soul. Next wife who kicks me out I'm getting a dog. Love unconditional ? One can only wish.


I went back and reread this thread ,I though this was the Drawing room . Could of swore it was the lounge. But when people have nothing ,some will exploit the fact they have another mouth to feed. Then put their hand out for support. I think the oringinal poster was quite taking back about the sadness
of one living on their own ,with a pet . And was worryed about the welare of it. I still stand by my post or the thought behind it. The dog eating comments made me sick. Show a little compassion ...........

[Tikibonbon]

The dog eating comments made me sick. Show a little compassion ...........

I wonder if the French would consider sharing their secrets of 'foie gras' with the Koreans and Chinese (what, with their current edible doggy fetish). Could be interesting.

[JPaul]

The dog eating comments made me sick.

If you are a vegan I will accept your right to say this.

If you are not I will trust that you see it is hypocritical.

[ahctlucabbuS]

BTW, don't give them a cent, ever. Being homeless is a lifestyle choice and you keep it a viable option by donating your money. No money? You will be amazed at their resourcefulness when push comes to shove.

"Lifestyle choice"?

At best your opinion is ignorant. It's a fact that many homeless people deals with schizophrenia, or some other mental illness.

Your view reflects how you think about life.
It's nice to know that we ourselves are solely responsible for our situation and that we are in total control of our lives. We can control our lives to a large degree, yes. There are however forces operating outside our control. And mental illness is one that is not so easily contained (especially schizophrenia). Blaming the homeless for his situation might give you peace at night, but it doesn't make it a fact.

It's as futile as blaming your upstanding neighbour for his cancer.

A persons situation isn't completely one sided, and beeing homeless certainly isn't a "lifestyle choice".

In fact, society is the one to blame for not dealing adequately with the problem... but I digress (again).

[hobbes]

"Lifestyle choice"?

At best your opinion is ignorant. It's a fact that many homeless people deals with schizophrenia, or some other mental illness.

Your view reflects how you think about life.
It's nice to know that we ourselves are solely responsible for our situation and that we are in total control of our lives. We can control our lives to a large degree, yes. There are however forces operating outside our control. And mental illness is one that is not so easily contained (especially schizophrenia). Blaming the homeless for his situation might give you peace at night, but it doesn't make it a fact.

It's as futile as blaming your upstanding neighbour for his cancer.

A persons situation isn't completely one sided, and beeing homeless certainly isn't a "lifestyle choice".

In fact, society is the one to blame for not dealing adequately with the problem... but I digress (again).

It is actually the loss of my youthful ignornace that made me realize that being homeless IS a lifestyle choice.

For everyone, no.

The reason for the post was to highlight the fact that a substantial percentage of people who are homeless are fully able bodied people who choose not to work.

In my "ignorant" days, I thought they were all victims of circumstance, that was until I met them. These people are not all war vets in wheel chairs who cannot find employment in a callous world. Most have 4 functioning limbs and there ARE jobs out there for those who can be arsed to look for one.

Sure we have mentally ill people out there. They choose to live on the streets rather than remain in an instituition. They can also live in half-way houses (or other forms of assisted living) and subsist on their social security and disability checks. That is what disability is for, people who really need some help. Our society does not cast the insane into the streets with no options, that is simply not the case.

When I see that 55 year old man working the cash register at McDonalds and that other 55 year old man begging on the corner, I understand that they have made a lifestyle choice.

I give the homeless what they deserve, nothing. I give the truly disabled what they deserve through my taxes and their disability check.

[ruthie]

Sure we have mentally ill people out there. They choose to live on the streets rather than remain in an instituition. They can also live in half-way houses and subsist on their social security and disability checks. That is what disability is for, people who really need some help. Our society does not cast the insane into the streets with no options, that is simply not the case.

When I see that 55 year old man working the cash register at McDonalds and that other 55 year old man begging on the corner, I understand that they have made a lifestyle choice.

I give the homeless what they deserve, nothing. I give the truly disabled what they deserve through my taxes and their disability check.

Wow, Hobbes.
thats a pretty big generalization about the mentally ill. People also decompensate when they go off meds..is that part of mental illness? It is not uncommon for the mentally ill to stop their meds..it's part of the whole thing. Do you really believe that the mentally ill are appropriately cared for in this country? Do you think they all recieve the help they should be ENTITLED to?
As far as institutions and halfway houses...do you think those are all safe environments? In some of these settings, they are abused and victimized. Are you aware that some patients are released from institutions with just bus money?
Our society could do much to improve the treatment of the mentally ill. Mental illness is not a choice, Hobbes, nor do all the homeless mentally ill choose to be homeless.
There is a lack of compassion and empathy in this contry, which is one of the great shames of our nation. We have enough to help the homeless, the destitute, etc.

[hobbes]

Wow, Hobbes.
thats a pretty big generalization about the mentally ill. People also decompensate when they go off meds..is that part of mental illness? It is not uncommon for the mentally ill to stop their meds..it's part of the whole thing. Do you really believe that the mentally ill are appropriately cared for in this country? Do you think they all recieve the help they should be ENTITLED to?
As far as institutions and halfway houses...do you think those are all safe environments? In some of these settings, they are abused and victimized. Are you aware that some patients are released from institutions with just bus money?
Our society could do much to improve the treatment of the mentally ill. Mental illness is not a choice, Hobbes, nor do all the homeless mentally ill choose to be homeless.
There is a lack of compassion and empathy in this contry, which is one of the great shames of our nation. We have enough to help the homeless, the destitute, etc.

Where am I stating, insinuating or other that mental illness is a choice?

I am essentially acknowledging that they exist out there, but are not obligately cast out there. The whole problem with the insane is that we cannot play God for them and hold them down and make them take their meds. We can explain to them that remaining in some form of assisted living is their best option, but we cannot make them.

They are free people with an uncurable condition. It is the disease which leads them to poor judgement and their freedom which generally results in them ending up on the streets.

But really, this has nothing to do with the insane or how they are provided for.

This has to do with able bodied people, with a sound mind, who chose to be homeless. The insane are a subset of the homeless, but are not the group I am targeting. The insane are also not made to live in the streets, but because we allow them to be free, they tend to end up there.

I'm not sure how I got shackled with the responsibility of reforming the care and treatment of the mentally ill, I was just making a comment that a big chunk of people who are homeless out there ARE making a lifestyle choice and should not be pandered to.

[vidcc]

I agree with hobbes..... there are some people that choose to be homeless, in fact some "beggars" make more money in one day than most working people. There have been undercover reporters highlighting the situation.
There are however many that didn't make the choice, be it through mental illness causing bad choices or by the lack of aid. Help is there but it isn't always easy to get and sometimes it is possible that they don't know how or where to go for help. A confused unstable mind is not the best thing to have if one has to look after oneself.

Halfway houses and shelters do in theory seem to be a step in the right direction but they have to be policed properly and that doesn't always happen. They also have rules for entry and if a mentally ill person is unstable enough to be a risk to other occupants chances are they will be denied entry.

There is a problem that is genuine and it is not made easier by those that hobbes is talking about..... Even in the most social countries in the world there are some that find themselves alone with no place to go.

I don't give money to individuals, I feel that it will be used to buy drink or drugs in many cases and this will just send them spiralling lower into an unclimbable hole. I will often give them sandwiches and a cup of hot soup.

I do believe to a degree that we are responsible for our own lives but I do also believe that some people need help on that journey