toldailytopic: Homeless people: how should a society handle them?

[Nathon Detroit]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for November 19th, 2012 09:46 AM

toldailytopic: Homeless people: how should a society handle them?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

I'm speaking of street people. The type who live under bridges and spend most of the day drunk.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

It seems like... the more shelters you build the more homeless people are attracted to your city.

 

[Rusha]

Help them temporarily with shelter, food, and clothing as well giving them advice and/or assistance in finding long term employment (assuming they are able to work).

 

[csuguy]

Help them out: food, shelter, clothing, etc. Help them find work if possible.

 

[Sherman]

I'm speaking of street people. The type who live under bridges and spend most of the day drunk.

These folks are derelicts. Building shelters for them is only enabling their behavior. It multiplies the problem instead of solving it and is in direct contradiction to what the bible says.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 - For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

I say throw the bums out and let them fend for themselves. Shelters should be for people wanting to get back on their feet--not derelicts. If a person is not willing to work, they need to be tossed out on their ear.

 

[aCultureWarrior]

Most transients are either addicted to drug or alcohol (legalize drugs, yeah, that's the ticket!).

Tougher penalities on public intoxication, decrease the size of government so that working is once again profitable, and while we're at it, a change in American culture where God's Word reigns once again.

 

[Buzzword]

I say throw the bums out and let them fend for themselves. Shelters should be for people wanting to get back on their feet--not derelicts. If a person is not willing to work, they need to be tossed out on their ear.

Out of what would you be throwing them, given that they're already HOMELESS? arty:


I do think it should be illegal to stand on a corner begging for money from pedestrians or drivers.
I've seen several fights break out between "bums" (including those whose multi-thousand-dollar cars are parked less than a block away) over the best intersections.

Reminds me of gang wars over territory.

 

[Sherman]

Dereliction should be a crime. People should not be building shelters for derelicts. Jail is where they belong-or a dry dock if they really want to change.

 

[kmoney]

Help them temporarily with shelter, food, and clothing as well giving them advice and/or assistance in finding long term employment (assuming they are able to work).

Help them out: food, shelter, clothing, etc. Help them find work if possible.

:up:

 

[Rusha]

Dereliction should be a crime. People should not be building shelters for derelicts. Jail is where they belong-or a dry dock if they really want to change.

For what *crime* exactly do you wish to lock up those who are without food, shelter and clothing? At what age ... 7 ... 12 ... 17 ...90?

For those homeless who are physically disabled by mental retardation or crippled by disease to the point they are on an oxygen tank or in a wheel chair, would you request the prison disallow them these necessary medical accommodations?

 

[Sherman]

For what *crime* exactly do you wish to lock up those who are without food, shelter and clothing? At what age ... 7 ... 12 ... 17 ...90?

For those homeless who are physically disabled by mental retardation or crippled by disease to the point they are on an oxygen tank or in a wheel chair, would you request the prison disallow them these necessary medical accommodations?

You misread my post and Knight's. I am talking about those bums that lay on the sidewalk drunk all the time. We are not talking about people that can't work because of disability.

 

[Granite]

Dereliction should be a crime. People should not be building shelters for derelicts. Jail is where they belong-or a dry dock if they really want to change.

Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons?

Provide them food, shelter, education, and get them back on their feet.

 

[Rusha]

You misread my post and Knight's. I am talking about those bums that lay on the sidewalk drunk all the time. We are not talking about people that can't work because of disability.

How, without actually speaking directly *to* them, can you know their story?

IF you were speaking of individuals going from home to home or car to car and robbing and assaulting others, I would agree. However, I have no way of knowing what a person's situation is to put them in a one size fits all category.

After living through a horrific experience, a person's mental capacity, due to extreme depression, can be every bit as disabling as that of an individual who is sitting in a wheel chair.

Without a homeless shelter or at the very least a bridge or tent, where would a person with no income reside until they are financially stable?

 

[ebenz47037]

While there are situations where I feel we should help the homeless by providing shelter, food, clothing, and job counseling, the majority of homeless people that I've known over the years (and I was homeless for a short time, myself) are in that situation either because they want to be (have no responsibilities of bills) or because of drugs and/or alcohol.

I think that we should help those who are either homeless through no fault of their own (lost job, abused wives, disabled). With those who either choose to be homeless or are homeless due to drugs and/or alcohol, we should make it as uncomfortable as possible for them to remain that way by passing anti-panhandling laws and passing anti-loitering laws.

 

[Grosnick Marowbe]

How, without actually speaking directly *to* them, can you know their story?

IF you were speaking of individuals going from home to home or car to car and robbing and assaulting others, I would agree. However, I have no way of knowing what a person's situation is to put them in a one size fits all category.

After living through a horrific experience, a person's mental capacity, due to extreme depression, can be every bit as disabling as that of an individual who is sitting in a wheel chair.

Without a homeless shelter or at the very least a bridge or tent, where would a person with no income reside until they are financially stable?

Excellent post!!

 

[Junius Gallio]

I'm speaking of street people. The type who live under bridges and spend most of the day drunk.

Sometimes people drink, then lose the house and the job. Sometimes people lose the house and the job first, then start drinking because they see no way back, and feel they need something to deaden the pain of what they lost.

 

[Doormat]

I'm speaking of street people. The type who live under bridges and spend most of the day drunk.

Ask them what they want.
Give them what they need.

 

[Town Heretic]

Homeless people: how should a society handle them?

I think it's rude to assume we're free to handle them. Unless they're tiny. Because it's an unwritten law that tossing little people is socially acceptable behavior.


Else, we should follow the Golden Rule. It's a solid way to relate to one another, regardless of your particular theological view. oly:

 

[Doormat]

Sometimes people drink, then lose the house and the job. Sometimes people lose the house and the job first, then start drinking because they see no way back, and feel they need something to deaden the pain of what they lost.

And 1/5 of the homeless population are veterans.

Although flawless counts are impossible to come by – the transient nature of homeless populations presents a major difficulty – HUD estimates that 67,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Over the course of a year, approximately twice that many experience homelessness. Only eight percent of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly one-fifth of the homeless population are veterans.