The New Hate Crime

Jonathan Choe investigates an upsurge in violence against the homeless and why we should be concerned.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• homeless
• hate
• crimes
• urban
• ministry
• Arloa
• Sutter
• Breakthrough
• Jonathan
• Choe
• Chicago

[kidrebel20002000]

I was homeless for a bit, went from place to place, then I got back with my parents. I currently go to Penn State University, and have a job. It's just a temporary job until I get my career. So, I know how it feels to be homeless, it isn't easy. I had to work really hard and a lot of people don't have the oppurtunities I had. It can happen to anyone, so anyone saying, "they deserve it" should think what would happen if he/she gets laid off. Or loses his/her home to disaster.You'd be homeless too

[tashareed84]

all of you should be ashamed to be human how dare you! my father was homeless from 14 to 23 after his parents died then again later in life due to lack of education. not drug abuse, how about the kids who run away from abuse and end up living in the street for years you ppl have no idea what they might have gone through in life. im so pissed at all your comments. seems the lack of compassion for another human being is more of a crime then there suffering on the street..

[tashareed84]

@SithAnonymous ive never heard more bull shit in my life!!!

[tashareed84]

@SithAnonymous does this mean they should be beaten?

[tashareed84]

@MrChupacabraLoco you fucking fuck. ppl like you deserve to get beat before they do your mother did a horrible job of raising your punk ass.

[SithAnonymous]

Of those 100 people who needed money for "coffee" how many do you suppose took me up on my offer for a free coffee with my card?

Answer:

One older lady took me up on my offer twice and she was an ex crack addict.

[SithAnonymous]

Yeah, that's why they say NEVER give money to panhandlers or to the homless directly. What we need is a handup not a handout.

I recently did an experiment here: everytime for 6 months that a panhandler asked me for money for coffee(Tim Hortons and coffee in general is popular here) i offered to buy them a coffee with my Tim's card(so as not to give them the money directly). In that time period i had 100 homeless people ask me for money specifically for coffee.

Continued in next post

[gacayana]

ahh thanks for that bit of info. i remember reading from a local newspaper one day that they had an interview with an actual homeless person. the homeless person said that he begs for money to buy drugs or beer or something. i was like wow.

[SithAnonymous]

Not all, but definitely most. I can attest to this personally from the years I volunteered and worked with the homeless.

The police department recently released a statistic for the homeless in my city, of the estimated 6,000(and that's considered a low estimate) that live here 35% are violent criminals who have been recently released from prison.

I used to have a lot of sympathy for the homeless until experience and research taught me otherwise.

[gacayana]

it is sad to know that there are many US veterans that live on the streets. it makes one wonder, what help has the govt given to them? just a thought.