USA should be ASHAMED!

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36 Comments

Yes i am aware of that percentage. The thing you must realize is there is help for these homeless individuals. In the small town i live in (population around 100000) there is three homeless shelters. These shelters have the resources to put these people in contact with councilors if they need help with mental issues. Believe me there is no reason for any homeless person to go hungry on Thanksgiving there is thousands of soup kitchens and such around the country to feed these people. I do feel sorry for homeless people but there are many of them that choose to live this type of lifestyle. I have known several personally and they seem very content traveling around the country with their tents and sleeping bags panhandling money for a living. I honestly believe some of these guys make more money panhandling then a lot of folks do working.

What irks my ass about our government is they send millions of dollars in aid to other countries to feed starving people but yet we have thousands of them right here in our own country. But bottom line many of these people are just to lazy to work and choose to be homeless,quite sad really.

Gizzie is right. In my town there are several shelters that offer meals and a place to stay. Throughout the year people donate resources and time to support the place particularly during the holidays.

Are you saying that I should go downtown and pick up some total stranger and invite him into my home? NO WAY!

However, if there were someone in my neighborhood that I at least knew as a neighbor that I knew was having a tough time or was alone on the holiday, I would have no problem inviting them to my home and my table.

Hopefully they would at least be somewhat clean and respectful!

Also although most homeless shelters get government subsidies to help with operating costs,most of the food comes from the private sector. I know in our area they do food drives mostly conducted by the LDS religion and the Boy Scouts of America. My point is the government could do a helluva lot more then what they do.

I can think of an idea that would solve problems and make EVERYONE happy: EAT THE HOMELESS.

Doesnt matter if they're vets or not. Homeless are just normal people, just like the ones who use this site, they just slipped through the net. Its worth remembering that with a bit of bad luck it could happen to you to. So help them out!

who did u invite in?

Thanks gizzie for a prety comprehensive answer. My concern isn't with the 75% who may or may not chose to be homeless, I worry for the 25% who have served their country, become traumatised because of their service and find little or no help from the very people who sent them to where ever. There are some very real issues they have to contend with and with the correct help, these people could become useful citizens again. They need medical help as much as anything and a good bit of understanding from the rest of the populus.
So next time you see a homeless person, please think about that. He may be one of those who has been through hell and high water to make your country safe from terrorists only to be virtually abbandoned upon return home. THAT is very sad and deserves your consideration.

It is the stupidest thing I have ever read. Fuck the homless...

i like da bums....mmmmmmmm

I hope one day, you are amongst them and find that is the attitude of all who pass you by! It just about sums up EXACTLY why I have missgivings about you. You have no empathy and are a two faced bi sexual who is ashamed and cannot be honest about it. One day you will get whats coming to you and you are in for a shock.

I'm astounded at all of the the ppl on here who could give a shit less for ppl who have given their lives such as veterans( FOR WHAT) us!! Do any of you realize, or even care that after these ppl return from the war they are lucky to have homes to return to. If you really consider the things these ppl had to endure, and our Government lends no help. There are alot of ppl with mental problems. Our government chooses to look the other way. They, for some reason have to live in shame? We should be lucky every day for what we have.
There are ppl out there who panhandle. I guess we need to be intelligent to know what's best!

After my divorce became final about four years ago, I went through a very tense period during which all I could think about was money, or the lack thereof. I honestly did consider the possibility of just chucking everything and living out of my car. I had a job, but my bills were staggering and I had credit card companies hounding me on weekends -- it was a nightmare. Some of this was due to poor planning on my part; some of it was due to a downturn in better jobs in my field and a rise in the cost in housing in the neighborhood where my kids were attending school.

At any rate, I began to seriously consider what it would be like to be homeless, and my eyes were opened to the struggles of those who find themselves in this difficult situation. Fortunately, I did not have to lose my apartment and although I'm far from well off, I'm able to pay my bills and feed myself and my family without difficulty now. But I do think back on those days, and I try to open my heart to the homeless and others in need as I can, when the spirit moves me. It's a bit of a judgment call, and I don't give to anybody who looks obviously clean/well fed, or who tells me some kind of ridiculous sounding yarn. And sure, I may be just giving a drunk enough cash for a bottle of cheap wine sometimes. But if he's truly addicted to alcohol, frankly, he probably needs it as the DTs can actually kill you, especially in inclement weather.

I dont invite homeless strangers into my home... I also do not give them money. Sorry, That is not what thanksgiving is about. That's risking your life and possesions. Should I be ashamed??? maybe.
Also, a lot of homeless 'veterans' buy their coats at a goodwill, and use this to scam money from people.
I choose to help the homeless in other ways. Like I go to a shelter for under 18 year olds, and tell them using hard drugs is idiotic. And that all sex should be protected. The weird thing is... they listen for the most part.
I dont believe in giving the homeless things, it encourages their lazy behavior. Unless they are handicapped, but then should be in a home.
But teaching them is different.
And how can someone from europe tell americans what our thanksgiving is about. Its about family eating a lot of food, then slaughtering the indians that helped us ...after we get the food..... not the homeless

I will most likely be homeless someday as I am just a loser and can't take care of myself at all. I wonder if I can still collect social security for being a mental and insane person who is too stupid to live.

yes it is possible. just work for the post office. or become a congressman. these are both jobs where there is absolutely no meaningful measurements of performance.

canada has 30 mill and the us has 10 times that. so to us, 100,000 is a large town, i would say.

i love canada btw, been there many times but mostly in the east. its a beautiful country and the people are very nice.

I only go there in the summer :D

or actually i was in toronto in december once

The bigger picture is why are they fighting a war that is meaningless they are ignorant enough to go over there it is there own fault i am not rich i chose a job i would never fight for this godamn country with the capabilities to help them but the government chooses to line the pockets of the rich with bailouts etc...so i say to you its not the people its your shitass government who crreated there misery wise up and go against the right people and stop blaming us the regular people trying to live we never asked for a war our freedom was never jeoparidized get realll

lets face it no one really gives a shit. Why would i let some stranger who i've never met before into my home where he or she can become a threat to me and the people that live with me. that's just stupid. It's not like a lot of these people dont have arms and legs cuz the ones i see do with their stupid signs. there's jobs everywhere. they can get one and get out of the box in a half year and start owning stuff

And when was the last time you invited a homeless person into your home for a holiday totally unrelated to the homeless or veterans?

Now you understand.

Yeah but what about the other 75%???

are you aware of how hard it can be to get a job? especially with today's economy?

All wrong, stupid goddamn hippy!!! Methamphetamine, 4.5 blood content, crack, heroine and/or PCP addicts do not make for a good holiday supper with the family!

NEVER give money to these people! The shelters have copious quantities of food, beverage and even more coffee! These guys do so damned well they also have packs of cigarettes. The last thing they need is money. What they really need is to get off their lazy asses and get a job not related to food, water or drugs!

Yes, any civilized country should be ashamed of homeless and destitute, as should those who judge and criticize so harshly! What contempt.

Well, AS A MATTER OF FACT- my roommate would be homeless had we not taken him in. So in your face story poster and common society! (lols)

And yes, a lot of our vets end up in a very bad place. I have personally fed homeless people before. I would help further but my house isn't just mine, I have a father in law I rent from. My roommate only gets to stay because he pays part of the rent.

I always try to be respectful to our soldiers. I work with a lot of guys who used to be in that line of work. One shot in the back, another in the knee, both had to come home. I can tell it bothers them so we don't usually talk about it, but they're great people.

If I could be sure that the homeless person was nice (Like Parry, in the 1991 movie "The Fisher King", great movie) then I would. But there are many homeless people who have mental disorders that make them angry and violent. I think if I ever move to a city where there are homeless people in abundance, I might invite some over periodically. But of course, only the ones who are actually asking for food instead of money.

EXCUSE ME! Who are you to demand that I take a strange homeless person into my home in the presence of my children. I dare YOU to do that. Besides, mant cities provide soup kitchens on Thanksgiving so that the homeless have something to eat. And I live in a state that provides for labor pools so a homeless person can have a chance for some work. Don't tel;l us that we have no compassion because we won't take strange homeless people into our homes. In act like that, though well intentioned, is foolhardy, naive and lacks common sense.

lol I'm sorry, but you're batshit insane. No one is going to invite some homeless person into their home for Thanksgiving. Get off your high horse and ask people to do things that are actually DOABLE, like volunteering and donating food. Unless you KNOW the homeless person, or they're a family member, there's no reason to invite them in. Seriously. What have you been smoking, hippie?

once we gave a homeless woman food. She threw it in the street. Ungrateful bitch.

I'm going to have to agree - inviting a random person into your house isn't exactly the most practical thing you could do.

However, all this "they should just get of their lazy arses and GET A JOB!!!" is thoughtless idiocy. How easy do you reckon it is to get a job when you have no address, no references, and maybe no national insurance number or social security number etc etc? Not to mention the shitload of stigma for being homeless.

Your main priority will always be to survive, meaning food and water and finding a safe place to sleep.

How will you have enough money left to try to keep a fixed address and move upwards from even the crappest of jobs? Some people may even be too weak because of their lifestyle to do jobs which are too physically taxing, so that would be out of the question.

Getting out of homelessness isn't that simple. It's like you've been cut out of the system without the things that many people take for granted. You can be isolated, without friends or family. No-one to support you. It's scary just thinking about it.

YOU ARE ABSOULTY RIGHT! But I don't own a house... :'{ sorry.
You are an angel in heaven to make people aware of this.
God bless you.

You do not know of what you speak. Most homeless people suffer from sever addiction or mental illness. Giving them money is just enabling. Better to allow the consequences of their actions motivate them to change their lifestyle. At some point they get sick and tired of it and make positive changes.
Thinking that the problem of homelessness is caused by a lack of money or resources is a myth. The problem is much deeper than that, and propping them up only allows them to continue that lifestyle without any need for change.

I agree - 98% of homeless people in America are alcoholics, standing at major intersections with "Lost Job - must feed my family" signs. They collect $100 just by standing there for a few hours, and then they go on a drinking binge for a few days before moving on to another part of town. It sounds sick, but that's just the facts...

What the hell? Get some friends, dude. Who sits around on Thanksgiving going, Gee, I think I'll go hate on some Americans on the internet for not inviting some bums in to have dinner with them. SO RANDOM! WTF?!

Awwwww, Fuck off. I am almost homeless as I am busting my ass with schooling and so on. A short distance away, there is several places that give free food that day.

Most homeless people are either addicts or disabled and although I will bend over to help the disabled, they are very rare anymore. No, its only the drug addicts left.