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= F.U.C.K. - Fucked Up College Kids - Born Jan. 24th, 1993 - F.U.C.K. =
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Would You Like Fries With That?
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With nothing in particular in mind, there was a movie on the other day
about homeless people. I didn't watch the movie, but it promped me to
think about the dynamics of a homeless person and the social stigmatizm
associated.
My grandmother and I actually fought about this once. Being the devout
Catholic she is (bless her heart), she profusely believes that homeless
people choose to be homeless. I could not disagree more.
Why would anyone choose to live on the streets, have their social
identities stripped from them, rummage through garbage and beg for money?
Who in their right mind would actually consciously decide to be homeless?
I just don't get it.
When you see a bum on the sidewalk asking for money, how many of us abandon
convenience and cross the street just to avoid confrontation? Or how many
of us driving our little cars look the opposite direction when the man with
the "will work for food" sign is sitting on the corner of the stoplight?
Many people think that "why don't they just go get a job at McDonald's or
something." Well, my friends, think about this. What would you do if you
walked into a McDonald's and the burger/fry maker has a dirty face and
fingernails and hasn't brushed their teeth in weeks because they don't have
a toothbrush. Suddenly your Big Mac attack has dissipated entirely and
pizza is now sounding about the best thing in the world.
And since I doubt that McDonald's gives a cash allowence for clean clothes,
shelter, and a shower, how would a homeless person be given a ligitimate
chance at the wonderful world of fast food to begin with? They don't want
people working for them that smell worse than the dumpster at closing time.
I do agree that alcolholism is statistically a big factor in the lifestyle
of a homeless person. Alcolol is simply a tool used to escape reality. It
definately doesn't help the cause, but I'll tell you this. I'd become the
world's biggest drunk if I was homeless just to forget even for a short
while the bugs crawling in my hair and the social avoidance of just about
everyone on the earth. Just hand me that bottle of Jack Daniels and Wild
Turkey so I could break from reality and restore momentarily what pea-sized
ounce of dignity that has been deemed invisible by the outside world.
Whether we admit it or not, other peoples reactions to us have a big impact
on the way we look at ourselves. If the whole world points its condemming
finger at you and tells you you are worthless, you'd begin to believe
pretty quickly that it must be true. To loose all faith and hope would
have a devistating effect on a person' s self perception to where they
would actually seek behviors that would accentuate that perception.
I just can't see any rational reason that someone would choose to live on a
street corner or under an overpass, praying everynight that it doesn't rain
or that they will wake up in the morning and not freeze from the snow
storm the night before. It's a circumstance from a situatuion, but I can't
believe that any effort was consciously placed in residing on a dirty
corner and wondering when will be the next time something good, not just
edible, but good will be thrown in a nearby garbage can.
Just call me a humanitarian.
-rio
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