Homeless in Paradise

Indeed, and the mental health aspect is embarrassing in the ignorance and ignoring of this major contributor to this problem. Closing mental health hospitals (thank you Reagan) doesn't cure the problem, it just shifts it.The number of veterans is another embarrassing aspect -- often with a lot of overlap due to untreated traumatic stress.

When I first moved back to NC, one of the first people to catch my eye was a homeless guy downtown bearing a sign saying he was a Navy Seal.

Taking care of vets should be one of the highest priorities in healthcare.

So you're saying you don't mind seeing elephants as long as they're not big and gray with a trunk in front and eating trees and so on.You don't solve a problem by moving it. You don't cure erratic behaviour by (ware)housing.

No. I'm saying I don't mind seeing elephants as long as they're not trying to step on me.

As the scorpion said to the frog as they both drowned, "I couldn't help stinging you. I'm a scorpion. It's what I do."Stepping on you is what elephants do. Acting cazy is what crazy people do. Moving them doesn't change their nature.

No, but it does keep me from getting stepped on.

Aren't you talking about the elephants you encounter when you visit their locale?Tourists are a mixed bag. People who live in 'spring break' destinations will be happy to tell you stories about tourists who cause essentially the same types of damage as homeless people.Tourists do generate revenue and some people benefit immensely and directly, but tourists also create local price inflation. Not everyone benefits.Not sure what the right answer is, but if the policies in your community helped create homelessness, and you don't provide services like drug treatment and mental health coverage, you shouldn't dump problems on someone else or on an empty area. Homeless people cannot survive away from a community.You have talked about ways to have business people support the homeless. But really, the entire community is part of the problem.Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.

That kind of proselytizing is against National Habitat for Humanity policy. For what it's worth, I haven't experienced that from the local Restore here in central NC, but I haven't worked with them extensively. But yes they are a religiously motivated group.

quote:

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Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations will not proselytize. Nor will HFH work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with HFH. This means that HFH will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must adhere to or convert to a particular faith or listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.

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So "Love your enemies!" but dump your garbage in your neighbour's yard? Nice.