Homelessness ,USA Why So Many?
83Small Child Eating In Soup Kitchen
Who are the Homeless and Hungry
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I too, asked myself this question after a family discussion on affluence in the U.S.A and a few other countries too I might add. The United States is perhaps an obvious target since she has such a high profile, and media coverage almost obsessed with their every move,from every possible angle.
The first point I like to comment on is this: Why, when the US is one of the wealthiest countries I am not so sure that it is ...anymore , 9 trillion in debt ? but I understand it is, never the less rich in resources ,and capital. The thing to remember here too, is that the funds are not evenly distributed ,not even equitable ,so while it might seem wealthy for everyone I believe that's just in the movies and magazines. Most of the cream goes to the top ,middle group enjoy the milk most of the time but its not always stable ,and the bottom well these are the homeless that you ask about.
Could it be that since the problem is a Global one, that makes it a Human Problem ,therefore the answer comes really is a Matter of The Heart
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REMEDY
Did you know that there is already enough food in the world to feed everyone!
Basically human beings on a whole are egocentric (selfish) . We don't work on the 'village concept' method where children and assets are seen to be the responsibility of everyone in the village. In a close knit caring community if an individual is struggling, a family needs help ,its not long before they get fed ,clothed and taken care of without shame or guilt because that village or people know that not only is it caring but wise.
There is a very sound reason why villages and communities choose to be that way. Survival and realising that if they develop this I and mine mentality then it creates a class system ,the haves and the have nots.........and as that gap widens so too does a very important weave in the fabric ,we don't see it , we cant hear it ,its not my problem , I don't have any responsibility for anyone but MYSELF The fabric becomes weak and damaged
Therefore the only Remedy I can see to change that the balance of wealthy and homelessness is a change of heart.
A hungry baby gets sick, other babies get sick. Troubled teens go on to be troubled adults and troubled adults hurt other people, and it could just as easily be me or you ( not my problem,remember) cept now it is.
Hunger affects everyone.
Unemployment affects everyone
Poverty affects everyone
Crime affects everyone
Lack of education effects everyone
USA AND UK Homeless Statistics
Some Of Us Still Overheating...The Rest Still Hungry??
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Im Still Hungry
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Luxembourg and United Kingdom Wealthiest?
- CNN.com - Europe\'s wealthy move up rich list - March 1, 2002
Europe's wealthiest names have made a surprisingly strong showing in this year's Forbes billionaires list despite September 11 and the economic slowdown. - Wealthy countries \'allowing corruption to go unchecked\' | Business | guardian.co.uk
Industrialised countries including UK have insufficient regulation of private sectors, anti-corruption group warns... Note how wealthy companies take advantage of poorer countries.
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Comments
You are welcome and I am reminded too of an old quote
"If I want to change the world, I must start first, by changing myself"
Most homeless people are homeless because of themself. They couldnt get a job?
I am researching more Johnb because I dont like jumping to conclussions. Im sure there are lazy people ( we have them back home in New Zealand too) but obviously for the numbers to be so high , Im inclined to believe my theory -uneven distribution of wealth .Unemployment is also at a record high in the states too , and poverty affects many areas that perhaps you and I take for granted.
Thanks for stopping bye!
Uneven distribution of wealth?! NO WONDER YOUR AN OBAMANITE! You have definitely been led astray.
ssh dont yell anyway you have a good night .
Escaping, huh? Wimp...LOL!!! Just kidding. We both agree that hopefully America will come out on top, correct? Good night and welcome to the states!
Here is my personal opinion on the U.S. it is simply based on greed, do any of us believe that our Country is really helping there people? The banks and wealthy become richer, the middle class is disappearing and the only ones that ever cared about the poor was the middle class. It is everyone's concern but nobody seems to listen.:)
Thank you for sharing your opinion AE I value it. I too, am growing suspicious of banks everywhere now , they dont have my best interests at heart. But we stay positive and keep our hearts open to share when we can , even if its offering a stranger a cold drink on a hot day ,we keep greed and selfishness from our own hearts. Thanks for reading , have a good night.
@ JohnB Look outside the square and I recall you quoting the USA as a Christian nation in a Forum , so follow the example of Christ and ...'do unto others ,as you would have done to you'
a very fine hub indeed....peace 2u
thankyou john for your good wishes ...to your best life, ekiwi
Most poor people have jobs and are referrd to as the working poor. So many jobs these days pay little over minimum wage. In the 1960's you could live independantyl on minimum wage! Times are getting tougher for lower income people. You can have a job and still not make enough to live on.
I agree Delores ,poverty is one thing , but poverty plus losing ones dignity is quite another . Thankyou for your comment -to your best life-ekiwi
'K Eaglekiwi....in my usual fashion I skipped to the end, The USA is really that televised everywhere? I was born and raised in small town (I mean, really really really backwoods small town...like last year a guy tried to marry his dog...not kidding.. USA) I didnt know...my take on the whole homeless thing in the USA is...were a bunch of selfish bastards. Really. Like, recently, everyone is complaining about ":the recesession" and my husband works for an oil co. (not considerd a good job cuz it didnt take school....but I love him for it cuz its hard work) and all the time he has to go deliver oil to some place that is getting state or federal aide, and they have brand new snowmobiles and trucks and $50,000.00 campers in front of their huge houses and both people are home collecting unemployment, I mean...COME ON!!!!! clearly, there are people in need, but they get ignored cuz of the guys who know the game and lie. Its awful.
You crack me up ..seriously the dog thing ..ahahaha....I tend to speed read too ( knows ya didnt really mean that ) lol....I wrote the hub ,as a response to a question and two of my sons were wanting to discuss it , I mean really really discuss it , so I did some research , its a huge subject ,alot is how the economy is managed, as well as corporate wanting more profit , lending ,spending, and I see that as uneven distribution of wealth , but its not an American thing ,its a global thing.....and you are right to feel proud of your husband , hard labour is the backbone of any developed country!!
Oh I understand where your coming from re..'aid' for some an not others.
When I was in NZ for example I asked about this kinda loan for small business owners etc( it was a $5,000 starter with a guide thrown in) but apparently that offer was only open to Russian immigrants??? hmm.
Now we are back in the states and similar scenerios are on offer, but not for all Americans. The worlds going crazy!
Great hub. I like how you showed the charts in there. I really do have a great desire to help the homeless.
It can't stand the thought of anyone suffering, especially children.
Thank you for sharing.
Great hub. I like how you showed the charts in there. I really do have a great desire to help the homeless.
It can't stand the thought of anyone suffering, especially children.
Thank you for sharing.
Great hub. I like how you showed the charts in there. I really do have a great desire to help the homeless.
It can't stand the thought of anyone suffering, especially children.
Thank you for sharing.
Thankyou for reading , yes I dont like truly helpless people suffering either.
Here in the UK we have the same problem and the fact of the matter in most cases is these homeless people choose to live this life as its soo much easier than living in an accommodation and paying bills etc and if the really want to get off there ass and start working the can as there are many services that can help these people!
I cannot stand people with no morals or shame who sit on there butt in the street begging for money!!
I say this with knowledge and experience in this matter!
I dont supporting lazy people Comp , no way , but sadly the numbers have grown ,and these are previously hardworking people who lost jobs, then hope , then their homes.
Ordinary people, like you an I ,too proud to live on the streets or ask for food ,but still homeless all the same.
There is something seriously wrong on a global level too, because there is enough food in the world ...so why arnt the hungry people able to get it.?
Could it be Politics...?
Thanks for making comment!!
Hi Eaglekiwi;
My background is social work & I know what you think but the story of homeless is different. America is still feeding the whole world & this economical situation is temporary. If America can spend billions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Europe, Africa & I believe American forces are every where. Do you think America cannot provide enough for it's own citizens.
Yes America can & always do, there are so many resources & opportunities always available. If you want to work or go back to school there is help available. I don't know why there are homeless people in America. When foreigners & even illegal people can find work but some percentage of American citizens are unemployed. I believe some of it is by choice.
Hi Mr Nice
First of all my hub was based on a question that was asked by another hubber ( In Questions section) and I tried to look at Poverty from a Global perspective ,more than just zeroing on one country.However having said that, some research and recent news, does point to more than just one kind of 'homeless' group. I do take you point though , that sadly some people also see it as an extremely economic lifestyle!!
I agree totally with you on America having the resources and even expertise to utilise and support these people, that would support not only them , but the fabric of communties as well. As I said in my hub, there is enough food in the world ( definately the USA) to feed them all. So the problem must be management(s) priorities changed etc.
I believe it is uneven distribution of wealth.
Your last statement is true ,but once again ,only some of the time, when companies move or close down, unemployment rubs out , or illness hits , what then?
I appreciate your comments and Im sure you draw on first hand experience , I respect that.
Actually the whole excercise made me relise just how related politics & poverty was/is!!....ekiwi.
Hi again. This is such an interesting topic to me. I had to come back and read it again. There are so many views, coming from so many backgrounds. And homlessness is brought on by alot of different things. I can only speak about what I have personally seen. And I do think alot of it is politcal. not all..but enough...Mr. Nice speaks of programs and help that is always availabe. This is not true at all where I live. I have been desperate, down and out, really needed help, and just could not get it.When I was younger, I have lived in a car, gone from party to party just to have a place to stay, sneaked into hotels to shower in the pool room. A few years ago, my husband was seriuosly hurt, at home, and could not work for 7 weeks. No income. No help. I applied to every single available program, and was denied assitance for one reason or another. Luckily, he healed, had he not, I cant imagine what we would have done.
Yes,"foreigners & even illegal people" can and do get state help. I couldn't, becuase I did not have a copy of my birth certificate, and did not have the 20 dollars to get one.
Hi there Dennisematt,happy to see you again, and yes wonderful though unfortunate to read your experiences.
Sometimes it is hard for me to fully share my experiences since I am a foreigner and it would come across as 'complaining or whining' so for the time being I refrain.
As ya probably know my hubby is an American citizen ,but that did not help us one lil bit when we fell on hard times recently either. In fact he said ,I feel like theyre punishing me for ever having left,(which wasnt true) he felt hurt, that a Govt office wouldnt recognise him ,but it when youre unsure if youre gonna make rent, or cant pay for an xray, and you cant get an overdraft because you have no credit ( good or bad)( and we loaned Bank Of America a few thousand when we arrived??,but ask them for a credit card ,and they dont wanna know anymore....that pissed me off!! it really does feel like your own country doesnt care about you , yet and these are his words "we (usa)damn well care about enemies,better than each other" least they would drop bread n food down.
It is a very short distance to having enough, and being on the street for many everyday, and thankfully hubby found work too, but its not easy, at all.
I dont understand how foreigners are receiving help, I didnt , nor do I expect too. We did try to use the free medical clinic once ,but were turned away because we were not on welfare,yet the carpark was full of SUV's and cadilacs?? man we had taken a bus an walked. So for our honesty we now have a $600 bill from a hospital. Crazy!
The people , and beautiful hospitable spirit of American will win through Im sure, and there are greedy fat cats in every country
Very well written hub .....
very much informative ......
Thank you very much for your great hub, for good advice, good wishes and support. Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us.
Thankyou for your comments.
Very informative. Unfortunately, its going to take a while to reprogram the human trait of individualism to communism--which has become an evil word for a beautiful concept.
melbrown Thankyou for your comments and yes the problem is huge indeed. Forget who said it but I like this quote:
For one to change the world ,change must first begin with one's self. I just watch out for my neighbor and hope hes watchin out for me too.
A very sad subject that no one should avoid. Over 400,000 homeless in America is a sobering number. Then throw this into the mix; one third or Military Veterans.
There is more chasing them from one town to the next than there is helping them and our government continues to spend money on so many projects that puts votes in the politicians pockets.
Sad indeed.
Hi Drifter , Thankyou for your insightful comments.It is indeed a sad aspect for any nation to allow its veterans or elderly to ever face insecurities.Just doesnt gel with my values well at all. It is indeed a different world.
America is in a sad state of affairs. It's unbelieveable to me how the 'rich and famous' would rather adopt a child from another country instead of looking right here at home. The economy here is absolutely horrible. There are no full time jobs anymore, in this way companies don't have to pay benefits to their workers. I know of several families with children who are living in camp grounds because of the housing market and job losses. If you are an illegal alien you can get all the food stamps and government help you want. However, if you are a born and raised American, you get squat. The waste of food.....incredible. I work part time in a deli and there is so much good food that is thrown out every day. It just sickens me. Unfortunately, due to liablity reasons and a suit happy country of thieves, we are unable to provide this good food to the homeless and hungary. Our country is falling apart before our very eyes and it's so sad. I have taken in homeless children (see my hubs on Raising Arizona) and am still doing it. If I can help these homeless children with a roof over their head, hot meals and love then I'm going to do it. Come on America, step up to the plate and help our own citizens. The children are our future and we need to protect them.
Hi Sarra , You raise some very legimate concerns, and waste is perhaps the greatest crime the world over!
Seems as though human greed rules the belly of many people.
Thankyou for your input and taking the time to add to these comments. I look forward to reading your hub too.
Excellent hub !
top marks for approaching this issue in a structured, progressive way !
cazcat says:
7 months ago
Thanks for your comments, I agree, until this is everyone's problem, it remains no-one's problem.