Obama Care

[saden1]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

Case in point on the poor -- anecdotal, I know, but it's worth mentioning.

There's a homeless person that hangs around the area in which I live. He has a dog and a bicycle and has the familiar sign which reads: "Homeless. Need work. God Bless." So he stands around at red lights, and inevitably someone will roll down their window and give him a few bucks.

I've seen this guy for at least three years -- the amount of time I've lived in this area. Every now and then, someone will approach this person, talk to him for a few minutes and hand him a business card, or maybe it's just some way to contact them.

So the other day I'm in the grocery store getting some things for lunch and the homeless guy walks in. He walks in, and comes back to the clerk in less than a minute (I'm still in the 20 items or more lane). So what is he purchasing?

A twelve-pack of Natural Light.

I guess he has to buy food at some point, so the money that people are giving him do help out. But I can't help wondering, in all the time he's been carrying that sign, no one has ever offered him work? I know of churches that will take these people in, clean them up, give them food, and provide odd jobs to give them some money to get on their feet. There are numerous charities that do this.

But what's the one thing that has to happen for that to work? Initiative. That's right -- the homeless person has to want to do it. They have to want a better life for themselves. Many times they don't want the help. I think they actually prefer the life they have. No place they have to be, and an endless supply of people who have some pity who can provide just enough money for beer. Now, the government could throw gobs of cash at these people if it wanted to -- but the question is what would they do with it?

Sometimes you actually have to reach for the helping hand.

There are an estimated 744K homeless people in this country. If you do the math that's 0.0025% of the population (744000 /296410404 = 0.0025%). Furthermore, it is estimated that nearly 40% of homeless people suffer from mental illness. Given all of this what about those that aren't homeless? The remaining ~12%+ of the population? Why play the f'ing homeless card when it clearly doesn't help your cause?

It's really getting harder and hard to think much of you or take you seriously dude.

[GMScud]

I realize that last post has zero to do with health care. Random rant.

[saden1]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I realize that last post has zero to do with health care. Random rant.

But do you realize that you're expecting them not to have a phone they can reached by and that the cell phone can replace the landline? How is your expectation reasonable? You're also assuming quite a bit about this person's situation? They could be unemployed or fetching food for their grandmother.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by saden1

But do you realize that you're expecting them not to have a phone they can reached by and that the cell phone can replace the landline? How is your expectation reasonable? You're also assuming quite a bit about this person's situation? They could be unemployed or fetching food for their grandmother.

Thus the post you quoted in this response.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by saden1

But do you realize that you're expecting them not to have a phone they can reached by and that the cell phone can replace the landline? How is your expectation reasonable? You're also assuming quite a bit about this person's situation? They could be unemployed or fetching food for their grandmother.

A touchscreen blackberry in a leather belt-clip and fresh all-white nikes don't exactly scream unemployed, but maybe he was. And maybe he was shopping for someone else. Again, that's why called it a random rant. My perception of him was assumptive. It's certainly possible I assumed wrongly. In this case I kind of doubt it though.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by GMScud

A touchscreen blackberry in a leather belt-clip and fresh all-white nikes don't exactly scream unemployed, but maybe he was. And maybe he was shopping for someone else. Again, that's why called it a random rant. My perception of him was assumptive. It's certainly possible I assumed wrongly. In this case I kind of doubt it though.

My first job I had was working at a grocery store which was surrounded by goverment subsidize housing. Thats when I learned first hand how bad the system is abused. They would buy very expensive food products then pay for it with their food stamps and then I would then load them up in their new cars. This was an everyday thing and at that age I just could not figure out how these people could get food stamps in the first place. Then came the next summer (I only worked while on summer break) and the same people using food stamps getting in their even newer car while my family was working for everything we had. I know some people really need food stamps but the abuse from what I saw out weighed the people who actually needed food stamps.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by saden1

There are an estimated 744K homeless people in this country. If you do the math that's 0.0025% of the population (744000 /296410404 = 0.0025%). Furthermore, it is estimated that nearly 40% of homeless people suffer from mental illness. Given all of this what about those that aren't homeless? The remaining ~12%+ of the population? Why play the f'ing homeless card when it clearly doesn't help your cause?

And again, the point remains that no matter what you do there will always be homeless people no matter what you do, no matter what economic system you're trying to change, no matter how much money you throw at them.

Originally Posted by Saden

It's really getting harder and hard to think much of you or take you seriously dude.

Funny, I was thinking the same about you, dude.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

And again, the point remains that no matter what you do there will always be homeless people no matter what you do, no matter what economic system you're trying to change, no matter how much money you throw at them.

You're right. There will always be poor people, always be rapists and always be murderers. So, it makes no sense to do anything about them, since you can never get rid of them.