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In our artificially structured world people do not give cooperation for free; They receive compensation for exactly that reason. Its called work ! However, we expect the homeless to give cooperation and remain lawful even under their distressful circumstances and they are due compensation to give such cooperation. The correct compensation is to make available to them a shelter which runs efficiently so they can eventually bounce back into stability as soon as possible. However, some homeless  people are not “cosmopolitan” and work forces do not intend to hire anyone who is not cosmopolitan with the possible exception of so different a workplace as a circus or Walt Disney world where costumes are used and characters depicted. It becomes a homeless person to try to fit into the cosmopolitan mode or else seek the few alternatives left, nevertheless, some homeless people do not wish to do the hard work of trying to “fit in”(trying to learn or take up the manners and customs of which the fabric of cosmopolitan success is made) and that is their right to choose. However, we do at all times owe them a homeless shelter available should they change their attitude or mind. And certainly a homeless shelter should be available for all of humanity where the ups and downs of life may come in cycles. However, one need not be (and should not be)hostile or demeaning towards those who do not seem to want to get out of homelessness, instead we should view them as the material that homeless shelters use to keep the shelters themselves efficient and able to handle every conceivable circumstance and contingency. We should view them as those whom keep the shelter personnel engaged, active, and capable of forwarding a solution to every fawcett of homelessness possible. We should view them as having that role to play until they might change or decide to seek out more stability in the society.

(insert racial tensions between the black and white cultures of North Louisiana)
I’m sure my dad probably doesn’t remember this conversation but it has stuck with me.  Riding in the truck home after a cross country practice in high school he was telling me about his day. As the principal of an elementary school he had to make a trip up to the local school board office. There he had to argue with the payroll department for his janitorial staff to receive their appropriate pay and benefits. This was part of an ongoing battle of mishaps that never favored the janitorial staff. I asked my what made him keep doing that. I still remember his reply, “Because I can see them as people”

The other story comes from a friend. I will not use names because I did not ask permission to share even though he gladly shared the story with me…….A homeless man in Asheville approached two guys in college on summer break and asked them for some money. One of the guys asked politely what he needed the money for. The homeless man said he just wanted to buy a beer. Surprised by the man’s honesty the college guy offered to buy him a beer in exchange for some conversation. The three men shared a beer and discussed their lives and relationships with Jesus.

As I got older, the days seemed to have gotten shorter, even the miserable ones. 

I have a small theory about this.  Each day that we get out of bed (those that can), we do something with our lives.  We do housework, take of our families.  Maybe we go back to school, we do volunteer work.  We do something with our lives that, at the end of the day, we can feel good about.

For those able-bodied people that get up and spend the day watching television, or just laying around, the day must pass pretty slow with boredom. 

A few years ago, there was a middle aged woman who used to go digging through apartment dumpsters everyday, with her shopping cart in tow.  Except for weekends, she came through at the same time, everyday.  I thought she was homeless, at first.  Then I began talking to her.  As it turns out, she was looking for knickknacks that she could fix up and recycle or sell.  She showed me six undaunted, unopened cans of food she found in the trash.  They weren’t expired, just thrown out.   The woman did this everyday because, it gave her something to do, and “it’s like looking for buried treasure.”

Some of the homeless men in the area, would also hunt through the trash for metal, even picking up cans thrown on the street.  As one fellow put it (while shouldering a large trash bag full of flattened cans),

  “It’s like a job, and it keeps me from begging.”

These are just a couple of examples of people who, at the end of the day, can say that they accomplished something.

Someday, we might just be held accountable for our lives on earth.  When we are called to give an account, we should be able to say something other than, “Nothin’,” or, “Well, I didn’t hurt anyone.”

Personally, I hope to add Writer, among my meager accomplishments.

Homelessness has been on the rise again over the last few years.  Many transients are the stereotypical types found drunk and passed out beside a downtown building, but many more are there against their own wills.  Society tends to create its own plagues be it viral or social.  As the wealthy get richer, and more and more background checks are implemented to profile people as law enforcement does, we create situations that keep people from obtaining proper shelters that they could otherwise afford.

Example:  A family grosses enough monthly income to pay three times the rent as required by most property management companies, has clean criminal history, but very bad credit scores.  This family will be denied a rental just because of this issue.  Let’s just be honest here.  We have a bad economy and this is going to impact many families’ credit scores as well as companies.  By denying families just because they have bad credit seems a little harsh.

Insurance does it as well.  Apparently having bad credit makes you a liability or a bad driver.  I understand that there are bad people out there but good or bad we all need a place to live.  If they are bad enough then they should be in jail but if they are not criminal then why are they left to live on the streets?  Profiling is helpful in many things but it should never keep someone homeless.

Image by Todd Huffman via Flickr

Society has created this homeless issue and blames the people or some other “Fall-Guy” rather than note the obvious.  Evictions are necessary for those who are worthy of it.  Families with children who are making efforts to pay rent but fall short of paying rent on time are evicted every day.  Between these two issues and several others, we have created a rise in homelessness.

Changes need to be made regarding rental criteria and home ownership.  It wasn’t that long ago that you could work a part-time job making $4.75 an hour and still have enough to pay rent, all your bills, and have enough for recreational fun.  It is all simple maths.  People have become greedy.  Governments have lost sight of their purpose.

I am not, nor do I ever wish to be a politician, but someone needs to step up and do the right thing.  Life should not be a struggle to live.  People should never have to worry whether or not they will have a roof over their heads.  Profiling should be banned.  My credit should not be an issue for renting a home, just buying.

http://pastoralblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/statistics-on-homeless-in-oregon-and.html

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While I have found my trip to LA to be great the one thing I did notice was the vast amount of homeless on the street. Talking with our unofficial tour guide I found that he used to care for a man who lost both of his legs in Korea. It saddens me to know that this man put his life on the line and lost both legs, yet was left to fend for himself here in the country he was defending.

I have done some research, because I have even notice myself that a great number of homeless people are veterans, I have discovered that this is very true. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans say that “VA estimates that 107,000 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.” They also say, “The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states the nation’s homeless veterans are predominantly male, with roughly five percent being female. The majority of them are single; come from urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About one-third of the adult homeless population are veterans.About 1.5 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.” (1)

Also I read from USA Today that, “Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11% of the general adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday. And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and elderly veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.The Veterans Affairs Department has identified 1,500 homeless veterans from the current wars and says 400 of them have participated in its programs specifically targeting homelessness.The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education non-profit, based the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau. 2005 data estimated that 194,254 homeless people out of 744,313 on any given night were veterans.In comparison, the VA says that 20 years ago, the estimated number of veterans who were homeless on any given night was 250,000.” (2)

Last the National Coalition the Homeless even has input on this subject saying that, “Far too many veterans are homeless in America—between 130,000 and 200,000 on any given night—representing between one fourth and one-fifth of all homeless people. Three times that many veterans are struggling with excessive rent burdens and thus at increased risk of homelessness.
Further, there is concern about the future. Women veterans and those with disabilities including post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury are more likely to become homeless, and a higher percentage of veterans returning from the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have these characteristics.The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. And approximately twice that many experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country.” (3)

So now I find myself asking, why is it that so many men and women who served our country so bravely laying in the streets. Chances are that just about everyone knows someone who has served in the arm forces, or is currently serving. These people are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents as well, and chances are that one of these people you know will be homeless sleeping in a box on the street. They are not only are family and friends, but the protectors and defenders to everything we hold dear, SO why are we letting this tragedy happen right before our very eyes? We walk right past someone almost everyday who has put their life on the line for our country, and most act as though they are not even there.

I feel we should all ask our selves where would this country be if these men and women didn’t put their life on the line for our freedom. And I find myself to a very simple answer, “What freedom?” because without these veterans risking everything we would not have freedom. So maybe we should consider this the next time we pass one of them laying on the street homeless. Maybe we should start to do more to help them, because without them we might not even be here. And if we do not start to help them that will be our fate as a country, and then what will the real tragedy be then?

(1) National Coalition for Homeless Veterans http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm

(2) USA Today “Veterans make up 1 in 4 homeless” http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-11-07-homeless-veterans_N.htm

(3) National Coalition for the Homeless “Homeless Veterans” http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/veterans.html

might also want to be remembered forever by those who you have helped in the past while you were healthy and alive. 

Such is the case for people who donate money to build a hospital, museum or some public facility that adds to the

knowledge and/or enjoyment of other people. You might also donate and otherwise support a political party that you

believe will improve the living standards of the people who live within the country in question where such members of a 

particular political party represent the citizens of that country. After all, if you are wealthy because the people within the 

country help to make you very wealthy, or wealthy enough to now share some of that wealth with those who made you rich. 

That is called "Giving Back." How much of your wealth do you want to give back? You might want to make a "Last Will and 

Testament" that will allocate your vast wealth to those who you decide to reward after you have passed away. 

While you are still alive you can also give a whole lot of your accumulated wealth to those who are in need. For tax purposes 

you can reward family members and friends, making such gifts tax deductible, thus allowing you to allocate your current 

income where it will do the most for those who you know and love. As a matter of fact, tens of thousands of people might 

not be as well off as you are and really need whatever you can give to them so that they can remain healthy and alive. 

Doing so, you now have the satisfaction of knowing that you might have saved a life or two or maybe even more people 

from dying before their natural time to pass away. You can help those who are in danger of becoming homeless or you 

can allow a homeless person to again afford a place in which to live and start over again to build a future for themselves

and their family members. 

Yes, keeping such a "New Year's Resolution" is a good thing to do and it is a really good feeling to know that you saved 

a life or provided knowledge or entertained other people within the society, if not the entire World, in which we all live and 

work.

Corporations first of all only exist if they provide a product or service in demand by individuals, and provide it at a competitive price.  A corporation has no power to require individuals to purchase its products or services; the corporation must serve the consumers.  Corporations must innovate and provide better quality or lower prices or some combination just to serve the needs and desires of individuals.  What individuals ask for, companies in a free society provide. Governments on the other hand can operate by command and control and require individuals to pay for services that they may not want or do not feel are of high quality.  Governments can also protect certain corporations from competition, undermining the need of the corporation to serve consumers.  In these instances, the corporation need only serve its government partner to preserve its power to command consumers to purchase its products.  Many utility companies and local cable operators operate this way.  These are not true corporations, but government-corporate partnerships, and the arguments that corporations already “give back” likely do not apply to these command-and-control government-corporate partnerships.  

Corporations also educate.  They educate their employees in how free individuals come together to cooperate to produce a good or service.  This work — this employment — is educational in that it teaches individuals how to be part of a team, how to build a product or service together, and how to manage scarce resources to respond to the wants and needs of consumers.  These cooperative exercises that constitute the work in any corporation large or small also educates some employees enough that they take their skills and start their own company.  This is a virtuous cycle of entrepreneurship that not only benefits individuals with education, but also by creating competition for employees, thus ultimately raising employee pay.  These benefit are not widely recognized by those clamoring for corporations to “give back”.

Finally, corporations are places of personal fulfillment.  Individuals have choices.  They do not have to work for a company, and if they choose to do so, they can work at a large, medium, or small business or start their own business. They can also choose not to work at all and bear the consequences of that decision.  Many employees find their job to satisfy both their physical and some or all of their spiritual needs.  Employment with a corporation will satisfy some of the employees physical needs and thus make that person less of a burden on society.  Therefore, for corporations that employs thousands of employees — Walmart, for example — is taking a burden from society at large and contributing to society by allowing those individuals to be self-reliant.  A corporation is naturally involved in an anti-poverty program. In addition, a corporation by providing employment rather than a handout may also be satisfying a spiritual need of its employees.  The employee feels that his or work has value, that he or she is not a burden to others, and that he or she is engaged in a productive enterprise.  

Accordingly, it is imperative not to diminish the importance of corporations, large and small, in society, and to understand the many benefits corporations already contribute to society that are not reflected in the debate about “giving back.” Corporations already “give back”.  The only question is whether society is doing enough to allow corporations to thrive so the corporations can continue to contribute in these meaningful ways.  What can society do to “give back” to corporations to make sure they grow and multiply?

  VIDEO: http://candyconnection.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/15560426-homeless-man-david-ivins-assaulted-on-camera-

           Taylor Giresi, 20, of Belmar,NJ. is being held in the Monmouth County Jail in lieu of $135,000 cash bail, while his juvenile partner was released to his parents. On top of robbery and theft, Giresi is facing charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit assault for the beating of the homeless old man. 

     According to Wall Police Lt. Walter Pomphrey, charges of conspiracy to commit assault will also be levied against the 17-year videographer that was filming the beatings. The homeless old man was beaten after the crew had filmed a prior beating. In the crew’s first beating video they are heard bragging as they stalk the victim at his camp sight.

“About to go beat up this bum,” the first man says. “About to be a knockout,” the man with the camera says as he begins to laugh.

“Just dive on him! Dive on him!” the cameraman screams as his friend approaches the old, homeless man. The young man pounces on the old man as they both erupt with laughter, all the while filming the attack.  

As if humiliating the old, homeless man wasn’t enough, the two perpetrators tell the victim that they are stealing his bicycle. “No, I need my bike!” the victim screams out.

They then proceed to run off with the man’s bike while yelling, “Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or whatever the (bleep) you are.”

During the recording of the incident, the two act as if they’re going to help the old man while taunting him at the same time. “Oh, my God, you’re bleeding!” the cameraman says sarcastically. “We didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Wipe off the blood.”

     The insane part is that a young man is essentially behind a camera fulfilling some twisted fantasy-fetish. Telling his partner to reach out to give the victim a hug, as his cohort proceeds to knee the old man in what appears to be his groin area.

The homeless man begins to scream, prompting the attackers to leave, but not before the young man runs up and delivers a flying kick to the victim’s head, knocking him to the ground.

“You gave him the big boot!” the camera guy loudly cheers. “The big boot!”

As bad as this incident was, the victim, Ivins has received an outpouring of support from around the nation.

In Ford Lauderdale town, north of Miami, the Authorities have decided to pay a one way bus ticket to all the homeless to go to their relatives or friends who want to look after them. For such an initiative, they have dedicated 25,000 dólars, but the vice Mayor of the city doesn’t agree with it. “Surely, there’s something else we can do, other than kicking the tin out of the road” he stated to back up his opposition to such measure.

Anyone with a bit of common sense will agree with him. Moreover, what if these people who have lost everything have nowhere or no one to go to? Misfits apart, no one will go to sleep in the streets, if they can prevent it.

The recession that the whole world is passing through has been partially provoked by greedy financial speculators. This bunch of people not only haven’t they lost anything, but they have become multimillionaires out of millions of people’s disgrace as it can be watch on the film entitled Inside Job. 

Poverty is the same the year round, but it seems to be harder to cope with during the so called festive season when these people who still have their house, a job and money in the bank will cramp shopping centres and supermarkets. Things aren’t as well as they used to be and they will probably have to cut down on expenses -fewer and cheaper presents, go on haunting a place where the turkey is cheaper and the like. Yet, they will still have a warm and comfortable house and food on the plate. It will really make a huge difference for them.

When in Barcelona, they hosted the 1992 Olympic Games, the Catalan government did something similar -they paid a train fare to all beggars and homeless to get rid of them, so, the streets were going to be clear of “scum”, according to their views, for the countless of visitors to come. Needless to say, there was a big outcry on such a measure.

I don’t know how many foreign visitors Miami and this town will have in this time of the year. I don’t understand why they have taken such an initiative when, in fact, Christmas time is day for charity.

With this money, they could have surely provided with a bit of warmth and a special dinner while also thinking on a better measure to try to sort this serious and appalling problem.

All of a sudden, a boy who looked to be about thirteen or so, jumped in front of the homeless man and shouted,”I hate homeless people!” At that, the boy started punching and kicking the man.

Then, the man grabbed the boy’s coat collar and pinned the boy against the wall and shouted,” Now you’re gonna git it!”

The man started punching the boy in his face, chest and stomach and did a final blow to the boy’s head, knocking the boy out.

Here are some things that people had to say about this.

A man in his thirties with sandy blond hair enveloped in a blue down coat said, ” I’ve never seen anything like this. I hate to say this, but that boy sure deserved to get a whoopin.”

A pretty blond rosey cheeked girl said,” I saw the whole thing. That boy had a lot of nerve if you know what I mean.”

An elderly woman said,” It’s about time that kids should learn the hard way about harrassing homeless people.”

The boy was rushed to the hospital.

The homeless man got arrested and hand cuffed by the police and then, got put in a squad car.

The people who witnessed it went about their own ways.