Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/01/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]From a Brit who has been living in what is/was probably the smuggest European country (Germany) for over 30 years Larry, homeless and particularly the homeless or unemployed with an alcohol or drug problem are a common sight in most German cities. And if you don't actually see them, there are enough reports of them being beaten up by neo-nazis and young German-Russian immigrants - two cases alone last week in Hannover. Much is done here in the way of giving them a bed at night - if they accept it, and quite a few don't on the grounds that what little they have is often stolen by their bed-neighbours. Similarly there are organisations offering free meals, a bath and medical/dental facilities too (Salvation Army, Samaritans etc.) In the same way much is being done on the drug addiction front - controlled methadone dosage, clean needles, hygienic "fix-rooms" and Hannover planned the free and controlled provision of heroin - cheaper and with less detrimental side-effects than methadone, Federal Government has now scrapped this plan in the course of cost reductions. Similar to the magazine "Big Issue" (UK), there is a magazine project here called "Asphalt" which attempts to get them back into an "ordered" life. They sell the magazine and get a proportion of the proceeds, the magazine publishers organize various measures for reintegration of their sellers. Although homelessness is a big problem here, the situation will get even worse over the next few years, rising unemployment (at present over 4 million unemployed) cut-backs in unemployment and social security payments mean that more and more people will be ending up on the streets. The main reasons given by the homeless themselves are - in order of significance - poverty after becoming unemployed - divorce (alimony payments, supporting children) - deaths in the family - release from imprisonment and most of these also in conjunction with accompaniment of alcohol or drug abuse. The police here do tend to keep the "Penners" out of the main shopping areas and public transport by quietly requesting them to move along: In earlier years there were a couple of cases of police transporting them to the city limits (e.g. in Frankfurt) until two men froze to death in mid-winter, that soon stopped it. Begging as such is not forbidden here, "Have you got a Euro?" is common in all railway stations and city centres, but aggressive begging is considered to be on a par with assault, and arrests are common. The general public and shopkeepers tend to more or less ignore them as long as the aren't making trouble, in a country where becoming unemployed no longer has its social stigma it is certainly a case of "There, but for the grace of God - Go I", people are too worried about their own situation to look down on them from the heights they used to. It has become noticeable over the last 15 or 20 years how many stores, restaurants, public transport operators etc. now employ security personnel to stop the homeless entering their premises to get warm. From a civilized country Douglas larry.k@rcn.com wrote: > > > So, what do the smug Europeans say on this subject? Do they have any > answers > to the plight of the homeless? > > > >