Category Archives: People

People or Birds?

Hunger, People, Uncategorized

In the film Taylor’s Campaign (1998), the Santa Monica City Council is shown passing a city ordinance forbidding the passing out of food to homeless in local areas. I personally found myself in shock by this horrific and inhumane move by a government body whose purpose is to “serve the people”, not watch them starve out on the streets. A few days after watching the film I found myself sitting outside of the local Costco eating a few large hot dogs. As I have since I was a young boy, I began picking off pieces of the bun and tossing them to the seagulls, who are regular visistors at Costco benches across the country. As is the usual reaction to such actions, the manager came over and asked me to cease fire. This time, however, my mind went somewhere other than my usual rationalization that feeding the birds mean more birds would flock to the benches and negatively affect business. No, this time my mind went straight to the homeless in Santa Monica and that controversial city ordinance.

 

How demeaning must it be in the first place to have to beg for food? How dehumanizing must it be to have someone tell you that you’re not allowed to be fed in public? If a mother feeds her daughter in the park, no one will be arrested. If a dog owner gives his pet a treat while they’re on their morning walk downtown, no one will be arrested. If we are supposed to treat everyone line family, with love and respect, why are we not allowed to feed our brethren when they are starving right in front of us?

“Homelessness is a Crime”

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

In  Kenan Heise’s The Book of the Poor (2012 Edition), he discusses the topic of impoverished women being put in jail for simply trying to act in ways necessary for survival. As one narrator named Betty recounts, “People don’t comprehend. My child was hungry. I took him to the A&P, and I took a can opener and a spoon along. I fed him right there in the store. They called the police. They took my child from me and sent me to the 11th and State” (Heise 40). This is an important epidemic to bring to the table and examine more in depth, as it is a topic that not many consider. While some people view any aspect of law-breaking inexcusable and punishable, I think it is important to first put oneself in the shoes of these women and mothers. Without any help or education on the means of support that is available, it seems that the desperation of these women lead to law-breaking as a means of basic survival. The fact that an increasing number of women are coming into contact with law enforcement in order to obtain fundamental necessities to live off of shows that programs to work with these individuals is crucial. As a direct result of lack of options, these women see no other path besides crime in order to get by, an issue that is both heartbreaking and frustrating, knowing that there is so much more assistance that could be provided in order to avoid this unfortunate fate for these women.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect learned from The Book of the Poor and other reading so far, is the comparison of the image society holds of those who are poor and the reality of those who are impoverished. While most members of mainstream society have the misconception that the poor are people who are unintelligent and without basic skills, in actuality this is not always the case.  It is so surprising to learn that many people who fall into homelessness are educated and some of which used to maintain a high quality of life, having an education and earning decent pay. Some people in society are ignorant to the true facts of homeless and poor individuals, thinking that they are freeloaders and law breakers who are constantly looking for handouts and refusing to be productive. However, this is simply not the case. “I held up my end of the bargain. I worked, paid taxes, and mistakenly believed I would be protected by a safety net should the need arise…caseworkers have lost compassion and are forced to look for scams more than to a person’s needs.” (60). This illustrates perfectly how people who find themselves in positions of homelessness and extreme poverty can become discouraged, a viewpoint that others rarely consider. Overall, this quote shows how much society has failed these people, many of whom have worked hard and been productive members of society throughout their lives.

Another interesting topic that came up throughout my readings this week was the issue of crime and homeless individual’s experiences with police.  As Jessica Morrell’s book Voices from the Street (2007 Edition), a collection of interviews with homeless individuals, illustrates most homeless individuals have negative experiences with law enforcement. She recalls a story shared by a woman about a well-respected police officer that she knew who had been involved in brutality towards homeless individuals. She recounts “with tears in her eyes, she shared with us that he and some fellow officers had more than once come to Old Town/ Chinatown to beat up people who were homeless” (Morrell 52). This raises awareness to the fact that police officers in some instances use their force and power over individuals who are unable to fight back or seek help. As the book goes on to say, those who are homeless are given tickets for sleeping, told to leave public parks, are physically abused, and basically singled out in ways that other members of society are not. As one homeless interviewer sums up his experience with the law, “homelessness is a crime” (Morrell 69).

Does a Home Make You Trustworthy?

Homelessness, People

Rewind three days to last Saturday in Redlands, CA. It’s a sunny afternoon, a far contrast from the weather on a January day elsewhere in the country, as I pull up to the Chevron station on the edge of the downtown section of Redlands. I’m driving my hand-me-down Lincoln Town Car from my grandmother, which has been running on “low” gas for about a week now. One of my roommates, who had owed me over a hundred dollars towards the water bill, has just paid me back and I’m excited to be able to finally fill my tank; a task that will consume fifty of the sixty dollars that I am gleaming to have received.

I enter the station and joke with the nice woman behind the counter about how the high gas prices for the Town Car’s V8 engine cause me to “walk and save money on a gym membership”. As I walk back towards my shining, freshly washed car, a young woman of about 25 years of age approaches me to ask if I can spare a dollar fifty to help her buy a one-day bus pass to get her home to Yucaipa (the neighboring town). Immediately my mind flashes to the discussions we had just a few days prior in my “Hunger and Homelessness” class at the University of Redlands. We had discovered how the expense of a bus pass, which I used to reference as “just a dollar-fifty”, was an extreme financial burden on those whom were forced to take the bus due to poverty. I then asked the woman if she took the bus often in order to get to work and back home. She answered that she rode the bus everyday. Immediately, without a single hesitation, I handed her the $10 that I had left over from paying the attendant to fill my tank.

While I am embarrassed to admit it, I would not have made this same decision a few weeks ago. Yes, I would’ve have given the woman some money, but I most likely would have followed her or accompanied her in order to make sure that the money was going where she claimed it was meant to go. In fact, I had that very experience about two months ago at Union Station in downtown LA. Following this interaction with the woman at that gas station and noticing my change of reaction, I’ve come to reflect heavily on a question of ethics and trust: “Do we trust homeless/impoverished people less strictly because they don’t have a home/look poor?” When you donate money to the Girl Scouts selling you cookies outside Vons or let a friend borrow $10 for dinner, do you question if they will actually spend the money you give them wisely? How about with the homeless man asking for a dollar on the corner just to feed his family? How quickly does your mind jump to assuming that he will just go buy booze and drink the night away until he asks you for that same dollar tomorrow? I don’t know the answer, just food for thought, but I would love to hear your responses, as I wrestle with my own in my head.

 

 

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.

Coping

Portraits of Homeless

Often times the ways that homeless people survive is by coping in unhealthy ways. In “Voices of the Street” the chapter “Recovery Issues” discusses the relationships with homeless people and addictions. One homeless man shares, “homelessness and drug abuse and alcoholism go hand in hand” (144). Many of the homeless people interviewed share how, “drugs and alcohol took away the pain of their experiences and helped pass the time” (151). Homeless people are trying to survive and their means of surviving are limited. They are acting as a result of their desperate circumstance. It is their circumstance that influences their behavior. What would you do in order to survive the traumatic experience of being homeless?
Also, why do you think “poverty is so invisible?” In what ways have the homeless become invisible?

Spirituality and Homelessness

About being poor, Portraits of Homeless, Religion

I have had numerous interactions with the homeless in which our conversation has ended with them saying, “God bless you.” I have questioned how they can believe in God despite their circumstance. The chapter,  “Spirituality” in Voices From the Street provided some answers. Some homeless people may adopt a faith due to their experience with homelessness. A belief in a Higher Power can provide a source of strength and help with hard times. Each persons experience is different, not all develop a belief in a Higher Power. Some share that their religious beliefs have lessened due to their circumstance. One man comments, “I am not impressed with Him right now” (156).

Have you ever had a conversation with a homeless person in which religion is discussed? What was it like? Did the homeless person mention a belief in a Higher Power?

Has a homeless person ever said, “God bless you?” How did that make you feel?

What do you think of requiring homeless to attend a church service in order to receive meals and other goods?

Very Surprising

Portraits of Homeless

While reading Voices from the Street one comment that really surprised me was when a woman shared, “I’d much prefer to be raped than become homeless, any day” (186). This comment really struck me for how brutal the situation of being homeless is. The women went on to share that when you are raped, you see it as someone else’s problem. Yet, when you are homeless, “everyone is judging you that you are no good… you begin to question everything you have ever done and how you got there” (186). I cannot even imagine the trauma this woman has suffered.