Homelessness and begging.
Homelessness and begging.
A small minority of homeless people are there for no fault of their own. Children escaping
brutality and sexual abuse, thrown out by harsh, drunk parents and sometimes even forced
to leave home by circumstances that we couldn't begin to understand.
The vast majority of homeless people are there because they wont conform to the ways of
the world. They do not like to work. They do not like responsibility.
They will not abide by the laws of the land. Therefore in my opinion, the streets are where
they deserve to be.
I cannot accept healthy, reasonably intelligent human beings wasting their lives by walking
the streets and sleeping rough as a way of life. Sure, again, there are situations that are the
exception, but they are few and far between. The genuine cases of homelessness are rare.
Anyone who does not have a place to live can go to the social, explain their situation, and
they will be provided with shelter. I know a lot about this subject, as I have helped many
people get on in life, and have even lent people deposit money for the accommodation, as I
believe that people who truly want to be somewhere in life, will get close to that place.
My mother ran the YWCA in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, and believe me, if you want
to see people who deserve to live on the streets, I wish you could have seen the sights she
had to deal with on a daily business.
The YWCA was virtually all unemployed people, who were provided with two Hot Meals
each day, given their own room and had use of a community lounge with TV and pool table,
etc.
Also they had sports facilities that they could use, free of charge.
The few rules they had were similar to No Drugs, No Alcohol and No Visitors to their
rooms after 11 at night.
Sounds fair to me, but not to a lot of these people.
Quite often she had to ...
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The YWCA was virtually all unemployed people, who were provided with two Hot Meals
each day, given their own room and had use of a community lounge with TV and pool table,
etc.
Also they had sports facilities that they could use, free of charge.
The few rules they had were similar to No Drugs, No Alcohol and No Visitors to their
rooms after 11 at night.
Sounds fair to me, but not to a lot of these people.
Quite often she had to call the ambulance for overdosed people and the police should have
set up camp there, the amount of times they had to come and arrest people for drugs/shop
lifting etc.
So sometime these people make a rod for their own backs, and aren't just icons of today's
society, as some would like to brand them!
Another form of homeless person is that of an elderly man or woman, whom we all see and
feel sorry for.
These people have given up on life, unfortunately, and they prefer the open road than the
responsibilities of life. You cant help them other than give them some food not money.
These people are once proud folk, usually, who have had everything taking away from them.
Be it love, home, or some other form of self-respect. They are quite often abrasive and
offish, but are still human beings, and need to be treated as so.
They could all have a place to live, if they wanted, but they choose not to, and that is their
choice, not ours. I have heard of families who have been made homeless by other means,
normally blamed on the local council or the government. I for one have never known anyone
made homeless without being offered alternative accommodation. I am not saying everyone
should be told where to live, and I truly believe that with soaring house prices, it wont be
long before people will not be able to afford accommodation.
What I will say though, is that people who are given a house by the local authorities have to
respect the wishes of their neighbours as well as the general living code of life.
Neighbours from hell are not just a council estate disease, but sadly, the majority of them
will be found there. That is no blight to council estates, I have lived there, my father still lives
in council accommodation, and most of my family at one point have had to live in council
funded/owned property.
Sometimes though, we have to accept that some people do deserve what they get. Street
begging is often an easy short term solution to cash problems for the homeless, but can also
be a lucrative business for unscrupulous individuals and drug users. Anyone who gives a
beggar money may be putting cash into the pockets of drug pushers, and in a round about
way, be influencing the sale of drugs to schoolchildren.
If you feel obliged to put your hand in your pocket for these people, go and buy them a
mars bar, as it has enough nutrition to give them a temporary energy buzz and stop their
hunger for a while. Try this, and I bet half the time, you will get abuse back, as they don't
want food, they want alcohol and drugs.
Women who stand there with their babies asking for money should be arrested and have the
child placed with a stable family who can provide for the child, even if it is just until the
mother comes to her senses and provides the love and nurture the child needs.
The whole aim of street begging is to play on the emotions of people, so tools of the trade
are children and pets, with a hand written board stating some kind of pity message.
I live in Poole and am about 3 miles from Bournemouth Town centre.
I am not alone in feeling intimidated and often threatened by the dozens of beggars who
jump out at you from shop doorways and lurk near cash machines asking for money, and
following you up the road shouting obscenities when you refuse.
Unfortunately for the North of England, most of these seem to have accents originating from
areas such as Liverpool and Newcastle, and as a Geordie myself, I often feel the resentment
of locals to northern people.
Somehow they are transfixed by the life in affluent south coast towns, such as Bournemouth,
Brighton, Eastbourne and the likes, and head for anywhere that they can ply their trade on
elderly people.
My opinion/beliefs are founded by life. I do not discriminate against anyone, and believe that
people should always be helped in life. I also believe that some people will abuse your trust
and help and are best suited for life on the streets where they can thrive in the community
they belong in.
Never give money to homeless people or beggars, but if you feel obliged by pity or by
charity, then give something that will aid them, such as food, clothing or blankets.
People who live on the streets usually do so due to the fact that they have no aspirations
what so ever to find a job or get a place to live, and they do not want to live in
accommodation provided by the correct authorities.
Therefore I think they are best left alone and I wish them all the best, especially in this cold
weather.
My door is always open for anyone who genuinely wants to help themselves, and I will
never turn my back on anyone, but I wont succumb to any form of mental games or pity
when there is a big world of opportunity out there for everyone. Sorry if you feel I am harsh,
but I have been in amongst the fire when the flames were at their highest, and I, along with
everyone else who wanted to, managed to walk out without a singed hair.
It's their choice most of the time, and with the odd exception, as I mentioned earlier, good
luck.
