@HonnyBrown wrote:
I'm not reading your manifesto in its entirety, but I offered him an apple because he was panhandling at the bus stop saying that he needed money for food. I gave him an apple that I had in my backpack. When I walked to the bus, he threw it at my back.
He was in need, and I tried to help. I didn't ask for a reward. I didn't make conversation with him. Why would I?
Sorry HonnyBrown
I see I may have offended you, but understand that this issue is so close to me, having been homeless due to the passing of my loved one so soon after I moved to stay with her, and for 8 months I tried everything (legally) under the sun to get into a shelter and the system failed me. One of my homeless veteran who was protecting me and educating me on the ways of how to survive told me "swallow your pride, the next person who passes by, I want you to stick this knife like this and ask them for their money, then you follow them and give them the money back, and tell them to not tell the cops" it was a petty crime for me to go to jail. I refused. Just as my luck would be, the next passer by were two police officers in full uniform and one undercover in plain cloths.
The guys yelled at me don't do it. I was so clumsy the cops knew what was going on, and instead took me to a shelter. I got a 7-night voucher for a bed, but then I was separated from my protector, and the "vultures" were looking at the "fresh meat" I had access to a computer, thus I could work for hours, and eventually I ended up sending thousands of job applications and one got me a job, and lifted me out of this mess that I found myself in.
The one common thing that I would say, is that People stereotype homeless individuals in the first 2 seconds. Eyes before brain syndrome I call it. You see, but you don't understand. Think of the outcome had I had a rookie, uncaring, unobservant, under cover officer that day? He knew from dealing with homeless individuals how the act, behave, when they zig and when they zag, and I did not fit the mold, and he was intreagued by what he saw me doing. He knew that I did not belong, no one does actually, and he was in a position to help.
If just like you, this officer, who is now my best friend and we keep in touch and anytime the department needs volunteers I'm there, did not talk to the homeless how would we know the full story. I'm running out of time, I have to go out for an assignment soon, but in NYC there was this story about this music theater ensemble members all of them came from the street. They recently performed at Carnegie Hall to a sold out house.
The sign said Money or Food, money was first why did you not give money? I do not advocate this approach but it was an option. What I am trying to get to hear is that People need to tread homeless People like People and nothing else. If you cut me I'll bleed red blood just like anyone else. I am like you, you are like me.
One difference I was tested, I went to a dark place, I survived, I returned, and I learned from the experience. You have not yet. I hope that you help someone for the sake of helping, Habitat for Humanity is a great organization get plugged in again and do what you can through them.
And for the poster who drove the nice car, who had the debit card, who was the smarter of the two? You or the "homeless"?
Thank You for your reply.