Because my family and I are for the most part financially stable, I can not understand why someone would be complacent in their poverty or homelessness. I feel as if there MUST be some kind of way out that they are simply too lazy to find. However, my religion does tell me to have compassion on the poor. In fact, my religion tells me to see the poor as Christ, and what I would do for Christ, I should do for the poor. As a male, I also feel as if I need to protect females as I am walking down the street. For example, I always like walking behind females when on Franklin Street because I am scared of a possible attempt my someone on the street to harm her.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Upsetting Honesty
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5 comments:
First of all I find your last sentence very honorable. The fact that you can not understand why "someone would be complacent in their poverty or homelessness" is something that will hinder but not necessarily totally limit your ability to become an authority on the matter at hand. I am a Christian as well, in fact I am the daughter of a United Methodist minister, so I know what you mean when you say that your "religion tells [you] to see the poor as Christ." I would like you to pull specific examples from the Bible. I'm not saying that they are not there but it would be interesting to examine the text. I can get my dad to help if you like. It would certainly be an interesting perspective to take.
I can see a lot of the points you are making because a lot of these are things that I can't understand as well. You would think that there would be some way for people to make it out of their situation because you do hear stories of people pulling themselves up from poverty. A example that reached the mainstream was the Will Smith movie "The Pursuit of Happiness" based on Chris Gardner's life. Yet, Christianity tells us to help the poor. I do think that your bias could possibly limit you like the last comment said, but I'm sure you know this already and will still be able to look at the subject critically.
"The Pursuit of Happyness" is a good movie. It does show that if given the correct opportunities, a radical life change is possible. However, what do you think about people who are not given these opportunities? Should we hold them to the standard of Gardner's radical life?
Pk: I'll be looking for those examples. However, I do feel as if part of the process to becoming an authority involves pointing out your own bias, and being honest about it.
For me it goes farther than being raised in a financially stable home..I was taught to work hard for what I want and to never give up with failing which is why I can't relate to people who are complacent about their poverty.
However, could it be that they are tired from trying to get out of the rut they are in and have just given up? Most of the people we see are older (not very young)- why is that?
Another factor to take into account is that in the 1980's the government closed the mental institutions all of a sudden releasing many people without the proper skills to survive. Very few came back to take their medicine weekly (because they have negative side affects and they didn't think they needed it anyway)without the medicine they would slowly go back to not being in their right mind -ruining any chance for getting a job. We had very few homeless before this.
Elizabeth,
Do you know of a site where I could fine more about what you are talking about?
What do you think are the chances of a homeless person actually being able to get a job or housing? I went to an event called Project Homeless Connect. It was an opportunity for homeless people to come and get all kinds of services in one place. Maybe it's not complacency, maybe it's impossibility.
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