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colin mackenzie

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Homelessness is not an excuse for defeat

All across the world there are homeless people moving from place to place to find shelter and food. I believe that as humans they have the ability to build shelter and find food in the wild. I don't think these people should be given handouts of shelter and food, But as men we must help each other to ensure our evolution. What we should offer is education on agriculture irrigation and construction.

Topics: community social change society
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Closing Statement from colin mackenzie

what you need to survive is all around you.

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    Orlando Hawkins 20+

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    Dec 9 2011: Here is a question:

    Have you ever been homeless? Do you know what it is like to be an individual who is homeless?

    I do not know you but based on your response I'd have to say to things: one you've never been homeless because if you were I doubt you would say such a thing. Or if you have, you had the privileged and ability to sustain yourself to the point where you did not need help. Are there people that do want handouts and don't want help? absolutely but there are other people, as Corvida mentioned, that are incapable of getting help due to having mental illness. You really have to cover all the bases to make such a statement.

    Sorry to come off as aggressive but being an individual that was homeless and know what it was like, I think I have to speak for those who do not have the privileged to defend themselves and tell you what its like to be homeless.

    But your correct. We do need to cultivate skills as to where they are not suffering and unable to feed themselves...we have done a bad job of that in the U.S.
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    Corvida Raven 100+

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    TED StaffHostTED AttendeeAssociate
    Dec 9 2011: Are you aware that in New York, substance use, alcohol use, and mental illness account for 69% of hospitalization among homeless adults?

    78% of FAMILIES make up NYC's shelter population. No one is necessarily giving up (nor can you really prove your statement for the general population). However, you can't just pick up and get things right when you're feeding more than two mouths. Jobs don't always pay enough, and not immediately, to rectify an entire family situation overnight and agriculture irrigation and construction is definitely NOT the help these people need. Are you trying to take us back in time? They need progress.

    Everything takes time, and in that time there's plenty of setbacks. Some are discouraging and some are life threatening. Please do your research before you make such generalized and ignorant statements about the homeless.

  • Aindreas Kugler

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    Dec 9 2011: This is a complicated issue. You cant just clear them out of the streets and tell them to go hunt food in the woods.
    Not every homeless person deserves to be homeless. They did not get there by choice, but rather by the choices they didnt have. Think of refugees, immigrants, people who lost their home to a bank because the property value dropped, or they were fired because the company went broke etc.

    I also do not think homeless people are lazy, sure there are some, but lazy people are everywhere.
    A homeless person cannot get a job. To have a job one needs a bank account, to have a bank account one needs an adress, which they obviously wont get without a job (at least its how it works in Ireland). Its a viscious circle.
    Its not a question are the homeless lazy, its that they have given up hope on society. Any of us in their position would probably feel the same. Jail would probably be a nice change from living on the streets.

    But you are right that giving them shelter and food isnt solving anything, teach a man to fish, right?
    There would be several menial jobs they could do, and it wouldnt require society to change, just give them a job and a residence (street sweeper etc), and they will feed themselves.
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      Orlando Hawkins 20+

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      Dec 9 2011: your not too far off about having an address. That's how it is in the U.S. I'm not sure if the bank account is related to having an address but I do know that you need an address in the U.S. to get a job because they want to know if your stable or not.

  • colin mackenzie

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    Dec 9 2011: i can sympathize with the aliments, but even a broken mind has potential to do great things. In my eyes they have a unique perspective that most of us don't have. Encouraging dependent behaviors is what puts them into chronic self disbelief. Motivational speeches would do them more good than accepting them as useless. People always want the quick fix to these problems and the quick fix is basically " here have some food, we gave up on really helping each other a long time ago".
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      Dance Aoki

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      Dec 10 2011: I think you're oversimplifying a vastly more complex issue. The path out of homelessness has as much to do with economics, geography, culture, domestic partnerships, education, job training, availability of social services and opportunities for success rather than individual motivation alone. Many individuals experiencing homelessness don't have the kind of human support they need to exist in a stable environment. Many individuals have had doors closed in their face at every turn. Many individuals experiencing homelessness were married, but when their spouse passed away, they weren't able to make ends meet on a solo income. Many individuals experiencing homelessness are employed, but are living out of their cars because their minimum wage isn't enough to pay for a security deposit. Many of those experiencing homelessness couldn't afford health insurance and suffered under the pressure of expensive health care. Since the economic downturn, many soup kitchens and shelters have seen a spike in the number of families seeking relief. I believe in finding a balance between providing relief to a suffering individual by offering food and shelter, but also providing services that develop each individual's ability to find their independence. In a country so wealthy and with access to so many resources, there should be no reason we can't provide relief for the most vulnerable and exposed among our citizens in a sustainable and responsible way. In developing countries, social entrepreneurship and microfinance is a way for the poor to pull themselves out of poverty. America is less accepting of this practice.

      I'm wondering if there is a deeper question to be asked here.
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    Gerald O'brian 50+

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    Dec 9 2011: They are homeless because they lack the will to make things right. Often, they have many related problems, such as addictions or mental illnesses.
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