A Homeless Documentary

By the way,...




if you have a job,
you're lucky;
if you have a place to live,
you're lucky;
if you have your own car and don't need to take public transportation,
yeah, you're pretty lucky;
if you have a job that you actually like or at least don't absolutely hate,
you're very lucky;
if you get to live with people you love and who love you back and who treat you well,
you're extremely lucky;
if, after cashing your paycheck, you have enough money left over to see a movie, go to a rock concert, or have some sort of fun, you sure are pretty darn lucky;
if you have a home that you really like where you feel comfortable, welcome and wanted,
you have no idea how lucky you are...

It's amazing how lucky we all can be,
if we only noticed...

Does anyone really choose to be homeless? If so, what are the alternatives for these victims of poverty? If they should all just "get jobs and pick themselves up by their bootstraps" but are simply choosing not to then what jobs are available to them that they are turning down, and what salary do you think they'll earn from those jobs? Is it a salary that's sufficient for a down-payment on an apartment, groceries, clothing, transportation, dental and other medical appointments and other necessities for sustaining a life?

If there are so many viable job opportunities for these people then why do you suppose they would "choose" to be homeless? Is that something you would choose? Do you suppose there are children who grow up dreaming of one day growing up to be homeless vagrants? Is the condition of homelessness really that attractive to anyone?

Yes, there are many homeless people who'll insist they've chosen to be homeless, just as there are many "battered" women who "choose" to live with abusive husbands and recently released prisoners who'll claim they "miss being in jail."

Psychologists label this phenomenon of human nature as "learned helplessness," a "victim mentality" or "slave mentality." It often results from years of abuse after which the victim not only accepts his/her victimization but begins to identify with it. We humans are so resistant to change that even positive changes in our lives can scare us and we can resist them.

Knowing this, it is very disturbing that so many Americans are losing their homes and their jobs AND at a time when services to the poor are increasingly being budget cut out of existence.

As a society, we are creating an increasing number of people who are learning helplessness and victimization, a "damaged people" many of whom will reach the point of no return. Such people are so damaged from the effects of years of economic struggle that they'll never bounce back. They'll never regain their spirit. And we will have to live with the after effects of what we have done (or chosen not to do for) this damaged population for many years to come.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• homelessness
• politics
• economics
• documentary
• sociology
• learned
• helplessness
• victimization
• Denver
• Colorado
• shelters
• FEMA
• independent
• film
• U.S. poverty rate
• poverty in Denver
• homelessness in Colorado
• homelessness in the U.S.
• homeless musicians
• war on the poor

[PurrGrrl]

seashithead, r u collecting welfare, SSI, food stamps, financial aid for college? If so, that is assistance u r getting from OTHERS, so u r not doing it by yourself. Do u consider that 2b a handout, or is it different when you are the one who's getting the help? Yes, there r ppl who'll say they choose to b homeless because they don't see a viable alternative to their situation.Empathy means imagining w/someone else's experience must b like, not assuming others can b just like us.

[PurrGrrl]

seashithead, no one is calling u stupid. Reptilian-base brain thinking is something we all engage in when under stress&our basic physical needs r not met. U r making lots of assumptions about me &those I've interviewed. U say u were good in science but r studying to be a plumber. Why not study to be an engineer? U may have gotten off the streets but u r still thinking like a homeless person. Lots of homeless will insist that other homeless r to blame 4their situation-but I'm different, they say

[alaskagrown1993]

I always feel a srong need to help homeless people when I am older. But my mom is like ohh thats dangerous most of them are screwed up in the head and will attack you and they will just buy drugs with the money. If 1 out of the 5 people I help uses the money for food and necesities and it helps them ill be happy.

[PurrGrrl]

@alaskagrown1993 It's nice that u care. It's true many homeless ppl have drug or psych probs but not all. Some r battered wmn, ppl unable to pay medical bills or other debts, ppl who've lost their jobs, etc. They're the invisible hmless we don't always see. It's a complex issue &major chngs nd 2b made in r system 2 provide better safety nets 4 those in nd. 1 way to help is 4 us to b kind&giving 2 r nbrs when they're in nd. If a friend loses his job I cd invite him over 4dinner 4 example.

[PurrGrrl]

R basic physical needs-hunger, thirst, nd 4 shelter from inclement weather, nd for a hug (that's also a physical human nd) must be satisfied b4 we can think of higher, spiritual needs. If u have gone from homeless to having a home, congrats! But now it's time to change ur thinking from reptilian/homeless/base brain-i.e., he's to blame 4 his own problems-to a higher way of thinking, i.e., how do we all as a society create a reality that manifests poverty &homelessness&what can we do 2 change it?

[jfcoop99]

Why can't my comment be seen?

[BababoCopyrights]

What is the difference between being a gypsey, transvient, backpacker, bohemian or a homeless person? Its probably all perspective. What does a home mean to that person? Is it a place to belong, or is it people to belong to, or is it feeling at home in your own skin? Personally it's the latter for me, I've been without people or place to belong to many times but I would never have called myself homeless. Sometimes sleeping on a hill is pretty awesome...

[MrDaniel199019]

i need to find a shelter for Clovis, CA, can anyone help me? im homeless, it's raining outside, im cold, my socks are wet. im at a public library right now, if anyone can help i would greatly appreciate it

[PurrGrrl]

@K5Colorado, it can appear on the surface that some choose 2b homeless but there is no real choice. It's a "Hobson's choice," meaning there is no real viable alternative. It's complex &diff to explain here but 4 exmpl., help is often given w/strings attached&most ppl don't like institutionalized settings where they r told what to do, how to live, etc.,shelters can b dangerous, meds don't solve complex psychological probs & many homeless nd help that isn't being provided 4 them.

[K5Colorado]

Another angle that I believe would make a good documentary is why more people help animals in shelters without helping the homeless humans. It may be a little controversial but I believe it's a good exploration of "why people give".