I have a question that has been plaguing my mind lately. I’m sure that I’m not alone in my queries about this highly volatile topic and I don’t know if there is really an acceptable answer that I could live with. The question is:
Why are there so many homeless people in America?
After all, we are supposed to be a wealthy nation. We are supposed to be a super power. Yet our homeless population continues to escalate and no one seems to care. Sure there are a few programs that are designed to help the homeless but so many American citizens live in their cars, hotels, homeless shelters and the streets.
With our country spending 12 billion dollars a month in Iraq, I’m sure that that money would be far better served in aiding American’s. If our government would even just spend half of that, the homeless problem would be nowhere near what it has become.
Yeah, yeah, I know. If we don’t fight our battles “over there” we would have to fight them over here. It’s seems to be the battle cry of our soon to be ex President. It’s just a smoke screen for our illegal occupation of a third world country. But Mr. President, we have a far greater problem in this country that I never heard you speak of. Why is that Mr. President?
There are more homeless people on American streets today than any other time in history. It is impossible to get a very accurate account of the exact number but experts suggest that there are more than three million homeless people in America today. I would say that was a conservative estimate. People that have fallen under hard times are now homeless and some have children. In fact, there is an estimated one million homeless children.
It is not just the skid row wino any longer. These people could be your neighbor, your family, your friends.
Or maybe even you.
It has been said that people today are one or two paychecks away from being homeless. In such a supposed great nation I find that unacceptable. Why doesn’t everyone feel that way? Have we become such a calloused nation that we ignore the less fortunate among us?
Yet there are increasing reports about hate crimes against the homeless. Just last week in my home town of Chicago, there was a report of two teen aged thugs beating down a homeless man with a chain and a street sign. I read of a story about a homeless man in Boston being awakened by three people kicking him in the stomach. He then had his legs set on fire.
What, as a society, have we become?
Yes, there are homeless people that have had run in’s with the law and have had issues with substance abuse. They have a myriad of problems and being homeless just compounds their problems. The cycle of homelessness is a difficult one to break. But there is hope for these unfortunate souls and that lies in the heart of American citizens. Remember the principles our country has been founded on. Remember the “love your neighbor” teachings.
Remember this could easily be you.
So next time you see a homeless person on a street corner with a cup asking for your spare change, forget your impression of “what a bum” and look into your heart and give this American whatever change you can give. Your change may mean the difference in this person’s life that could help in getting a meal or shelter. Have just a shred of compassion.
I realize that you cannot solve the entire homeless problem but what seems insignificant to you can mean the world to those less fortunate than you. Count your blessings that you are more fortunate. You can easily wind up in this position yourself someday.
