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You have two different arguments going here. First, that they made bad decisions that got them that way and second, that they are disturbed
People might have been responsible for their own situation, that doesn't make them bad or take away from their inherent humanity. If you were in an auto accident because you were driving home and hit a patch of ice, should the medics say 'what a jerk, he should have known that it might be icy and he should have been a better driver, let's just leave him in the car.' We should take care of those who are less fortunate than we and try to help them preserve what little they have left of their dignity and humanity.
Your bet would be wrong. There are different populations of homeless and the prevalence of mental disorder is highest amongst the men, particularly older men.Since the Supreme Court decided that mental patients can not be kept against their will in institutions, many long term care institutions just had to dump these people on the street and these people don't have the ability or resources to maintain any kind of ongoing interaction with outpatient care - of it is available. In Victorian England, the mentally ill were considered sub-human and the 'gentry' used to go to the insane asylum (Bedlam Hospital, for example) to see them jump around, much as we go to the zoo.
In more enlightened times, now, no matter how odd or amusing their behavior shouldn't we accord them some dignity and not photograph them casually as an object of interest.
The point I'm making is that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect for their humanity, particularly those for whom dignity and humanity may be the absolute only things they have left that they can claim.
Lew
Although I don't feel that ALL homeless people choose to live such a lifestyle, I do believe many CHOOSE their life's path. Hence it's not like they grew up wishing to be bums. But we are making choices every second of our lives, and often times homelessness is a self destructing pattern of addiction that ultimately leads to one living on the street.
You can't deny that there is some sort of individual responsibility in certain cases.
People might have been responsible for their own situation, that doesn't make them bad or take away from their inherent humanity. If you were in an auto accident because you were driving home and hit a patch of ice, should the medics say 'what a jerk, he should have known that it might be icy and he should have been a better driver, let's just leave him in the car.' We should take care of those who are less fortunate than we and try to help them preserve what little they have left of their dignity and humanity.
I would bet though that the majority have serious psychological disease which is the main problem.
Your bet would be wrong. There are different populations of homeless and the prevalence of mental disorder is highest amongst the men, particularly older men.Since the Supreme Court decided that mental patients can not be kept against their will in institutions, many long term care institutions just had to dump these people on the street and these people don't have the ability or resources to maintain any kind of ongoing interaction with outpatient care - of it is available. In Victorian England, the mentally ill were considered sub-human and the 'gentry' used to go to the insane asylum (Bedlam Hospital, for example) to see them jump around, much as we go to the zoo.
In more enlightened times, now, no matter how odd or amusing their behavior shouldn't we accord them some dignity and not photograph them casually as an object of interest.
The point I'm making is that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect for their humanity, particularly those for whom dignity and humanity may be the absolute only things they have left that they can claim.
Lew