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Thursday 
20 April 2006
What about all those addicts and homeless people?
During lunch with coworkers today, the woman to my left said that a lot of crime could be attributed to less Welfare support, which contributes to addicts tendency to do crime. She said that if they could get Welfare, they’d be less likely to steal. She mentioned that many of them are mentally ill, and can’t get medicine or don’t take it when they should.
The fellow to my right said that all thieves should have their hands cut off.
Another coworker added that the beggars he sees on Hastings Street each day probably make more money than him, and that they’re probably too lazy or apathetic to get a job.
After a while of listening to this debate, I felt stymied - trapped in between these extreme views.
I pictured one of my oldest friends who has struggled with multiple substance addictions for years now. I thought of my parents who abused themselves with alcohol and ruined their lives and jeopardized mine. I thought of my dear sister, who worked her way out of the Welfare cycle and into a career that could support her family. I thought of some of the guys I’ve met on the downtown Vancouver streets over the past three years: Curtis, Keith, and Dean. They’ve never posed a threat to me, and as far as I can tell are sincere, honest people. I also thought of Bob Bagnell, who, to me, represents someone who was lost in addictions but tried to get his health and his future back on track. In spite of how he died, I believe that Bob did succeed completely because he had started to gain physical and spiritual health and new hope.
I tried to say to my coworkers that it’s not realistic to stereotype Welfare recipients as lazy, or drug addicts as thieves, any more than it would be realistic for me to ignore the fact that these stereotypes exist for a reason. I don’t think I got the words out right, because here I am writing about it, and ranting a little.
Rightly or wrongly, a few conclusions come to my mind from all this:
- Everybody has their own story, and their own reasons for why they are where they are. I think stereotypes are a convenient substitute for people who don’t have (or don’t want) actual first-hand experience.
- Some people may understandably resent those whom they see as a drain on society, but they may also be a bit afraid of what they don’t understand. I consider it dehumanizing to label and presume about people if you don’t try to learn a little something about their background or some of the factors of their situation.
- Finally, in my city, we do have more people than ever suffering well beneath the poverty line. I think that our municipal, provincial and federal governments should provide them with more effective social services and education.
Maybe what the rest of us can try to provide is a little more understanding and compassion.
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Great post, John. I particularly liked this:
How true. It’s pathetic that human beings haven’t figured out the simple fact that we are all equal and should treat each other as such. That we continue letting racial, gender, religious, economic, and nationalistic differences eclipse our innate equality makes me wonder how we’ll ever evolve.
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yes, street begging is incredibly lucrative. those folks must have some fabulous cardboard tax shelters for occasional economic downturns.
and those homeless people! such a glam life, nothing to do all day, just lounging around interrupted by the odd nap. why don’t they get jobs and quit embarrassing us all?
plus, how do they stay so skinny? so heroin chic. paris hilton has nothing on the homeless and drug-addicted.
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Who says some homeless people aren’t happy the way they are? Resting from a joj one day, this homeless man sat at the bus stop next to me and asked, “Are you sleeping here tonight, cuz this is my spot.” He then went on a rant about how he became homeless and how it’s not too bad. He eats a raw egg mixed with colt 45 for three meals a day and collects cans to buy the eggs and booze. Also around here when it is below 0 degrees the homeless can call a number (1800-warmbed) and they’ll get picked up by a limousine and get to stay in a hotel for the night. George was a jolly boozed up man and I learned a lot from this experience.
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“1-800 Warm Bed”? Are you kidding me?
If we had that in my city, I’m sure a guy I know wouldn’t have frozen half to death and lost almost all his damn toes. What kind of fairy tale town do you live in, and when can I move there? :)
I’ve heard many stories of encounters with homeless folk from people who are comparatively well-off, and many of them fall into these categories:
1. If they didn’t like the life, they’d find something better.
2. They’ve got it easy, they’re lazy, brought it on themselves, bad karma, etc.
3. They don’t want help, refused it, ungrateful, etc.
Just because the man at the bus-stop seemed to like his life doesn’t mean he wouldn’t take a better opportunity if it became available. There’s a lot of mental illness out there, or it could mean that his sense of self worth has eroded and he’s accepted his situation. It’s his survival mechanism, not an excuse for the rest of us to do nothing.
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I just re-read these comments and have to add (for nobody’s benefit but my own), “Who would voluntarily live on nothng more than a beer and a raw egg?” Again, that’s just the human mind’s ability to adapt to a situation. Anyway, now I’m just plain ranting… ;)