Brian Eller,
Your level of ignorance only pales in comparision to your selfishness. The vast majority of homeless are mentally ill. They are afflicted with disorders that require medical care, medication and often hospitalization. They aren’t capable of “getting a job.”
The homeless are on the streets because they have nowhere else to go. It’s the end of the road for them. It’s not a rational choice. No sane person would want to live on the streets; it’s part of their disorder.
Then you have the alcoholic/addict homeless person. Many of them are mentally ill too and chose substance abuse to self medicate. Also, you are probably unaware that alcoholism is a disease. It’s a physical allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind – an alcoholic can’t stop drinking once they start and they consume more than the average person.
Once in the advanced stages of alcoholism, there is the physical addition where alcohol becomes necessary to function. The obsession of the mind is the belief that the alcoholic can drink like a normal person. The belief that “this time will be different.” Or stated another way, the insanity of doing the same thing (drinking) and expecting different results.
Telling the homeless to get a job is like telling a snot-nosed 21-year-old college junior to go to Iraq and win the “war.” And oh yeah, while you’re over there trying to create peace, try to get killed.
You have no idea what it’s like to be an alcoholic, mentally ill, or homeless. Your comments illustrate your lack of life experience. No doubt you and probably many of your family members suffer from some illness … maybe cancer, heart disease, etc. Do you treat these people with the same disrespect?
I’m a 34-year-old combat veteran, alcoholic, and former homeless person. I’m back at Cal Poly because I want to better myself and get an education that will allow me to serve this community. The highest calling is service. You are in for a world of disappointment if all you want to do is take.
One last note for you: what makes you think you have any advice the world needs?
Ben Albracht
Psychology junior