All posts by Andrea

About Andrea

Hello! I am a senior Business Administration major with minors in Government and Sociology/Anthropology! I am from Redlands, CA and am looking forward to graduation in April!

The good out there

Uncategorized

After listening to all the presentations this past week, it occurred to me that there is some good out there among all the darkness we have seen so far in this class. The fact that stuck out to me the most was about the Sisters of the Road diner. Before this class, before knowing about this soup kitchen, it has been my career goal to open up a place where people who cannot afford things can come get food when and for what ever reason. Seeing that the customers are also the workers and there are multiple ways to exchange services or goods for food made me realize that there is a gem of good fortune out there for people who need it.

Another aspect from the presentations that stuck out to me was the sidewalk distribution of books by the homeless. This was really interesting due to the fact that people would trust the homeless, more than a bookstore, for advice on books. As such, it reminded me of the fact that that is how our world used to work as buying things used to be based small scale entreprenuership. People used to buy goods and services from other people, no questions asked. And now, because of the capitalist culture we have, this is lost as the exchange of goods or services just relies on money, not a trade.

Most of these presentations got me wondering about all the programs and resources that are out there that homeless or less fortune people could use at their disposal, yet they have no clue that they exist. Yet, the question then becomes why does are society make it difficult on the people who need the most help to find the real help that they need?

On another note, I receive emails from a site called “The Daily Good” and while some of the articles I don’t agree with, they sent out one today that kind of touches on some problems out society is facing. It basically outlines that poverty remains consistent and present due to the violence it produces. The violence is what leads people to not only live in fear, but to do nothing about it. if any of you have time it is worth looking at!

http://www.good.is/posts/if-we-want-to-overcome-extreme-poverty-we-must-change-this?utm_source=tdg&utm_medium=email&utm_content=If%2BWe%2BWant%2Bto%2BOvercome%2BExtreme%2BPoverty%2C%2BWe%2BMust%2BChange%2BThis&utm_campaign=cta`

Trials and Tribulations

Books and Films

Taylor’s Campaign is a film we watched in class that spoke on a homeless man’s campaign for City Council in Santa Monica in the early 1990’s. His story  portrayed through the film showed the trials and tribulations that he went through as well as many other stories of the homeless people he interacted with. One of the most interesting concepts to wrap map my head around was about the two black women and the other people that followed them around. They set up their belongings as if the side of the street was their actual home. This contrasts the perception of homeless people living in a box or in a tent. Also, the bonds that all the homeless people had for one another was so strong and exemplified what they were willing to do for each other. Additionally, one woman in the film describe three types of homeless people: those who want to be homeless, those whose addiction leads them to homelessness, and those who are stuck and trying to get out. It is so confusing to me that many people are so close minded to the first and third types of homeless people. In the film, there were many reactions to the fact there were organizations who were trying to give to the homeless in Santa Monica. All the people they interviewed were negative and made it seem like we should rid the Earth of homeless people because they “don’t deserve to live.” When in fact there is much that homeless people do to positively impact the cities they are in. Since most of them collect recyclables, they help keep the streets clean. In addition, homeless people are also a type of security for businesses and establishments to keep criminals away.

It is people like Taylor who help create change and develop new perspective on society. Unfortunately, the town of Santa Monica was unable to reap the benefits of his experience and life story as he was not elected. Santa Monica has laws in place that prohibit giving food to the homeless and have increased its enforcement since the 1990’s. This film opened up my viewpoint to many facets of homelessness and lead me to lose a bit of hope in humanity.

No hope, no way out

About being poor, Homelessness, Portraits of Homeless, Reflections on our Reading

“It’s best not to hope. You take what you can get as you spot it.” Linda Tirado’s essay “This is Why Poor People’s Bad Decisions Make Sense”  was captivating and awe-inspiring. Out of all the reading and topics in class, her life account and struggle pushed beyond the normal boundaries of writing due to her bluntness and lack of compassion toward herself and others in similar situations. For example, when she speaks about her knowledge of knowing how to cook and prepare a meal, it is not because she is not capable of putting something together, it is because she does not have the means to do so.  In addition, when she pushes away the fact that she makes terrible financial decisions, she states, “I will never be not poor, so what does it matter.”

It is hard for me to believe that some people’s lives get to a point where they lose motivation, lose hope, and feel like there is no way out. After listening to those personal accounts from Invisible People, my view of homelessness turned completely around. As I have had both negative and positive experiences with homeless people, nothing matters when it comes to viewing each person as an individual.

Yet, the answer to all these problems cannot be solved by a quick fix. However, it can be solved by the reshaping of our roots and foundations. Education and society’s investment in children can cause a positive change when instilling proper attention and focus on social practices that aid the development of children on all levels. If children have roots that teach values and goal oriented thought process, homelessness would not occur. As this would be a daunting task, just as each homeless person should be judged individually, all children can create an impact by understanding and sharing their understanding of the world around them.