Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/04/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Thank you Joe for giving me an honest assessment. ie. not another head in the sand response. Karina > > From: Karina Klaas <shutterbug@iinet.net.au> > > > > That is not to say homelessness down not exist in Australia but having > never > > visited thte States before my preconceived notion of what to expect formed > > on the basis of the movies and TV watched, my impression, wrongly, was > that > > most Americans lived reasonably well. I asked my friend, whom I was > > visiting at the time where the poorer areas were - she lived in Santa > > Monica, and she responded there weren't any - she must have had her head > in > > the sand because I caught a Greyhound (not like they are in the movies - - > > another shock in itself) to San Fran and started noticing these areas > during > > the drive on the way. > > > > Karina > > > > Karina, > > Social ills such as crime, homelessness and others, exist in the USA for > different reasons than in other parts of the world. > In the case of homelessness, there are three major reasons for it in the US. > > 1) Mental illness. This is the overwhelming cause. This group includes > alcoholics and drug addicts. > In the past mentally ill patients who were deemed non-violent and not > dangerous to themselves where housed and cared for in mental hospitals. In > the eighties, in a move to save expenses, the Reagan administrations ordered > all non dangerous patients released. The result was a swelling of the > homeless ranks. That I know of, the policy is still enforced. > > 2) Destitution. Many individuals and families are destitute to the point > that they are reduced to living in the streets. The causes of such calamity > are many, from abandoned spouses to loss of job, to poor personal choices, > devastating illnesses, etc. > > 3) Non conformism. There is also an element that refuses to conform to > conventional life styles and chooses to be homeless. > > I have worked as a volunteer in shelters for the homeless and these seem to > be the prevailing causes. > > Joe > > > > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html