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See the original image at thehobodays.blogspot.com

The Hobo Days: Homeless Image and Stereotypes

thehobodays.blogspot.com — Homeless people do suffer from prejudices, this post is a great slap in the face of hypocrisy

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  • bwhite4815, on 07/22/2008, -34/+27I don't care how artsy you take pictures. Or how eloquently you write an essay. 95% of Homeless are worthless scum that You would want nothing to deal with. Homeless choose to be homeless, but that doesn't mean we should look at them like proud respectful people. They aren't native americans roaming the plains. They're living off handouts by people who are actually doing work and contributing to society.
    • bstockwell, on 07/22/2008, -6/+16I know man, giving charity to these people is a bunch of *****.

      Also katrina and flood victums were just looking out for handouts and are the slime of society.
      • jay019, on 07/22/2008, -16/+2Pity your family didnt die in katrina or a flood. Your nothing but a useless disease!
      • Issius, on 07/22/2008, -0/+17and in other news, jay cannot detect sarcasm.
    • tojulius, on 07/22/2008, -1/+11What about the 5% of them?
    • Locke23, on 07/22/2008, -0/+4I´m sure Jack Keroac or Jack London would agree with that statement.
      Read ¨The Dharma Bums¨ someday.
    • sagarp, on 07/22/2008, -0/+11not true. many homeless people have one or more psychiatric illnesses. a fair number are veterans. remember, half of your life is determined just by where, when, and to whom you were born. it's easy to hate and criticize the unfortunate or underprivileged from your seat in relative luxury. keep in mind that not everyone is as lucky as you!
    • SimonTB, on 07/22/2008, -3/+9I always wanted to be homeless, and now that I know so many others choose to, maybe I'll finally do it myself!

      You stupid *****, no one chooses to be homeless. Go the ***** away.
    • mbommari, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2Dude seriously you are totally wrong. Have you ever worked with the homeless? Have you ever fed them or sat down and had a conversation with any of them? Most homeless don't choose to be homeless, who the ***** would do that? Some have mentall illness or substance abuse problems, but many are just plain unlucky.

      I was at a Catholic Worker House soup kitchen a couple weeks ago and I was talking to this guy there named Rusty. The dude was 47 years old and he was in a homeless shelter. What happened to him was he worked in a factory and at the age of 45 suffered serious injuries. His insurance couldn't cover all of the expenses (or maybe he didn't have insurance--i forget) and he had to pay for it out of his own pocket. It was so expensive he couldn't pay rent and his landlord kicked him out of his apartment. He almost has everything paid off but he's still in debt a little. And it's really hard to find a job when you don't have an address or the money for even a phone. He's been homeless for almost 2 years now. He didn't choose to be homeless, just bad luck. He got hurt and couldn't pay for it and ended up homeless. Simple as that.
  • w0lfh0und, on 07/22/2008, -4/+32In response to the above: as it states in the article, some homeless may well fit the stereotypical image but that is certainly not always the case and you simply cannot tell the difference based on appearance alone. A large percentage of homeless neither ask for nor accept charity.

    It is exactly the uneducated ignorant attitude reflected above that represents the true scum and scourge of our society.
  • 84productions, on 07/22/2008, -7/+11DUGG :)
  • nowsamsara, on 07/22/2008, -1/+20As much as I appreciate the writer bringing to light the homeless issue and the stereotypes, I vehemently disagree with any statement that lumps all people into one category. [ie "We are all guilty, myself included, of these stereotypical associations whether they be valid or otherwise."] What may be true for the author's experience, has never been true for me and may well not be true for other people.

    I have never in my life garnered a stereotype for homeless people; as much as other people have tried to tell me about them. [Like 1st commenters sentiment.] It has never taken on me and I think that has to do with compassion. I was born this way and regardless of being in a cold sometimes crual and apathetic judgmental world, I have managed to keep it. And I believe that as long as one has compassion for another living creature, that there is no room for judge-mentality. Or maybe that is just true for me. ;)
    • w0lfh0und, on 07/22/2008, -0/+5This is a very valid point. If only the small group to which you refer weren't such a minority the world would be a much better place.
  • pws1970, on 07/22/2008, -3/+16Its a reflection on us all as a society that we spit people out onto the streets to live no matter their circumstances.

    Its a good article that invokes many personal thoughts on how and why we judge others.
  • Sandpetra, on 07/22/2008, -2/+18There by the grace of God..... people don't realise how easy it is to find yourself homeless, especiailly if you have a mental illness.
    • ileftfark, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3...wasn't that part of the stereotype the author sought to debunk?
  • Issius, on 07/22/2008, -2/+16Regardless, I only ever give food to homeless people. I have no problem giving to charity, but fueling a drug addiction with my money isn't something i care to do. Thus, I will kindly give someone a sandwich, but never a dollar.
    • Peko, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2For what it's worth, from personal observation and experience, the addicts will just sell the food and/or use the "freed up space" in their budgets for more junk.

      I work on site in public housing. So technically the tenants are not homeless. It is highly subsidized and most of the people have some form of or a combination of mental, physical and/or addiction issues. Some of the tenants have also experienced chronic and/or long term homelessness.

      I've seen addicts barter their food bank allowance for a few dollars for the next hit. I see needles and crack pipes daily. Just today a tenant tried to sell me cigarettes. At the local coffee shop a dusted tenant asked me for change indicating it was for a bus ride home. I replied I knew where she lived (2 blocks away).

      But don't get me wrong. You're coming from a good place. I think feeding some of the "underclass" will mostly help out the people who are suffering from some form of mental distress. I'm not as confident that it will help an addict. But I think it is worth a shot sometimes.
    • Peko, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2I would also like to add that many legitimate homeless do not look the part. They might struggle in per diem public housing shelters and work under the table doing piecework and/or day labour. They suffer from low visibility, low advocacy and the short end of the proverbial stick. I hope that the vast majority of people who have the misfortune to end up homeless find a way back into a more healthy lifestyle but I imagine too many get stuck.
  • morningmatters, on 07/22/2008, -2/+6It's pretty rare for homeless people to blog about their thoughts. Good read during lunch..
    • fritsthestud, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2Maybe that dude should focus more on getting a job and less on blogging.
  • BuckNutty, on 07/22/2008, -0/+11My father used to say that everyone is really only one or two missteps away from being homeless, so you should appreciate where you are in life and not throw stones into glass houses. Pretty much sums it up for me.
  • Haoie, on 07/22/2008, -1/+6If you think all homeless people are worthless or lazy, try living out on the streets with nothing but the clothes on your back for a few months.
  • paulot, on 07/22/2008, -2/+9Being a bum is cool. You can wonder from place to place. Meet people. Get in adventures.
    • shutaro, on 07/22/2008, -0/+5You're thinking of Hobos... Riding the rails and whatnot.
  • qhoen, on 07/22/2008, -3/+4Lot of different insight, Enjoy this post and all of yours comment.
  • spookyttws, on 07/22/2008, -0/+6Of course we make instant judgments about homeless people based on their appearance, just like we do with every other person we ever meet. And when I give money to someone on the street, I personally don't give a ***** what they do with it as long as it makes them happy or improves their situation, even if only momentarily. If a bottle of vodka gets them warm or stops the shakes for a few hours, I say go for it.
  • ileftfark, on 07/22/2008, -0/+6"I'll just be Jules, Vincent. No more, no less."
    • TomTruelle, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2"you know, like Caine in Kung Fu..."
  • caitylovesyouu, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3Like any stereotype, there is always the exception. But they are also called stereotypes because there is always someone who fits the bill.
  • ordig, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3If thing keep going the way they are, we may see a lot of new homeless people.
    • ousthouse, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2and we'll see a lot of new homeowners who can buy homes at fair value.
  • artzoom, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3Some experts say that most American families are just a few paychecks away from being homeless... Fear and Ignorance are the source of those kind of stereotypes... I do think that the article is too subjective but it highlights a real issue.
  • grrad, on 07/22/2008, -2/+5Dugg. Because I am homeless. Also, I have a laptop.
  • RudyV, on 07/23/2008, -7/+3im gay
  • DubiSPACEBAR, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3I would read the hobos' blogs
  • CindyMindy, on 07/23/2008, -6/+0I once piss in a bottle of water and told a homeless guy on crack that it was lemonade. He drank it and said "thank you".
  • ousthouse, on 07/23/2008, -1/+3Not to worry my friend. I'm a progressive who leaves my children with the hobos for days at a time.
  • cerealjynx, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3I love talking to bums, hobos and the lot of 'em. The way I see it, sure you can have a dollar or two for whatever you want. But you gotta earn it. So I'll usually ask them to tell me a story or do a trick. You'd be surprised.
  • sfvgdfgdfgdfg, on 07/23/2008, -4/+1http://www.AnonTalk.com/
  • tunapez, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2My buddy's wife recently ran into an old duner we used to party with in Glamis. He had it all, sand rail, bikes(dirt & street), big house w/ a huge garage. Then he picked up the glass dick(meth pipe). 5 years later and he's begging change at the Sonic.


    Just another victim of prejudice, right?
  • idreamnow, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2Great post... Made me contemplate my views....Cheers
  • eldudereno, on 07/28/2008, -0/+1theirs quite a few people who chose to be hobos not because of booze or drugs but because of the freedom.
    they have come to the understanding that being a consumer is not exactly cool and theirs alot of right wing people out their that resent this freedom because they really have never been free.
    every day our brains are bombarded with information that tells us we need to obey for freedom liberty and fraternity and the work ethic that really enslaves you. but when your government spies on you and tells you you need to carry an ID and be put on a giant database so your everyday comings and goings can be recorded is that freedom.
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