A new way of thinking

I Had A Very enlightening conversation with a person yesterday,who considers them selves to be educated having a college degree from a fine university,in southern California,and it truly opened my eyes to alot of the problem,that I have faced in dealing with people who are dealing with the homeless,this woman was comfortable using terms like Bum and shiftless lazy, and stereotyping me.And it made me aware of the fact that while she was bashing homeless people and not an advocate for the homeless many people who are advocates,are of the same mindset while saying that we are not all the same somehow view the homeless problem as one of mental deficiency,or addiction. It is a problem that I feel needs addressed,people need truly to think outside the box,homelessness is not a people problem it is a social problem,we live in a society where it is Ok to set standards for our fellow human beings and to classify them as being abnormal in some way if they do not fall into a certain guide line and at all cost to try to make them fit this model in doing this we set ourselves up to fail in dealing with the issue,you can take every homeless man woman and child off of the street tomorrow and put them in a house and you will fail if you do not first recognize first and for most in today's world it is their right as a human being to have a place to call their own where they can live as they chose and do as they please to say to a man we will give you a house but you must seek cure for your addiction,is to say to him in your present state you are of less value than the rest of us,and you are unworthy of this unless you change.

I have talked to more Homeless people over the last 20yrs of my life and I know that if you share with them as if they are equal to you in every way,they are more receiving of you they are more willing to open up themselves to you and they are more willing to receive from you what you might have to give, I have heard every form of degradation passed on to these people,my friends over the years than you can imagine,I have heard men say I am helping these mentally challenged people try to get a house , I am helping these drunks try to get into the shelter tonight,Never does a person say I am trying to help these brothers and sisters get what they deserve.I am shocked that people who say they are helping set guidelines themselves,that's what got most of the people onto the streets anyway they didn't fall into the guidelines we have,and do not say ever I am trying to help them become a productive member of society,Because if the society that you are trying to integrate us into was itself productive this problem would not exist, We cannot say why would I help this man find a home so he can drink himself to death,if that is His choice,Is it not as a human being His given right! should he not be able do get drunk out of his mind,and still have the safety of a place to call his own?

 

So I challenge each and everyone who has a true desire to help and do what has yet to be done to approach the problem that is before us with a new way of thinking.

accept all as they are being no different from you and make them your equal,in every way.you will achieve what those who advocated before you have not.