Life on the streets is a nightmare most of us would never even dream about. Our lives feel so safe that losing it all seems unfathomable. Perhaps this is why we don�t sympathize for the homeless like we should. Most people can�t imagine themselves in those circumstances and if you can�t relate it�s impossible to fully sympathize. This has reduced �hobo� to a funny word. We regard the homeless as lazy and are treated accordingly. They are non-producing members of society and in the eyes of many they are no longer people, just a blemish on their doorway. However with dropping government support for their plight and growing disrespect for the homeless, this blemish is only going to get worse.
On June 24 2002 an incredibly disturbing video was released, entitled �Bumfights: A Cause For Concern Volume 1.� It was a gruesome collection of �Jackass-like� stunts and fights performed by the homeless and more disturbing than that, it was sold as comedy. Including scenes of homeless being burned, ripping out teeth with pliers and a disturbing parody of the Crocodile Hunter in which a man sneaks up on the homeless and physically abuses them, this movie went on to become the fastest selling independent documentary of all time. The filmmakers have been fined but that hasn�t stopped a second and third Bumfights movie from being released and this has led to rising numbers of hate crimes against the homeless. Trying to imitate the movies, much like the number of student made �Jackass� videos, it has become funny to youth to mock and even physically hurt those most desperately needing help. The word �hobo� has become little more than a joke. All of this has rooted from a lack of respect for the homeless. It has given people pleasure in seeing their pain. What should be sympathy has turned in to apathy and mockery.
This attitude has apparently spread into the government. Government support of the homeless has been steadily dropping. In the United States the value of minimum wage has decreased 12% since 1997 due to inflation, meaning that minimum wage workers are effectively earning over fifty cents per hour less. Also the government has set a limit on the amount of time a person can spend on welfare support. Once the time is up those in need must give up their support and many of them unemployable have nowhere left to turn for support. In Canada�s mixed economy the situation is a little better but government support can only be spread so far. Since the 1950�s the government has been closing down many of its mental institutions, leaving room for only the most needy. However this has left many seriously disabled with no place to go. With their disabilities not serious enough to require institutionalization and too serious for them to work they are forced onto the streets. One third of the homeless are mentally disabled and these people are in dire need of help. Surrounded by people who don�t understand their condition, the mentally ill are in incredible danger on the streets. They need protection and treatment, not the exposure to this harsh world of drugs and depression, which will only worsen their condition. However they too are leeching from the governments thinly spread resources, and as the money is continuously being lost with no visible improvements, supporting this apparent lost cause is becoming less a priority.
Living without shelter the homeless are left at the mercy of the elements and their fellow man. The cold of winter and the extreme heat of summer put their lives at risk. It is in these times of need that our vagrants turn to homeless shelters and soup kitchens. With the gift of a warm bed, a meal, and for the lucky a refreshing shower, these buildings give hope to those who need it most. However the rising homeless population is putting a strain on the system. On the worst days when the shelters are needed most, countless people are turned away because there is simply no room left for them. Also the many addicts on the street are not given help until they give up their substance abuse problems, and that is a problem that looks almost impossible to solve in the eyes of the addict. As charitable as the shelters are, a night at a homeless shelter may not be an entirely positive one. Shelters are overcrowded and the overall mood is one of depression and despair. Surrounded by countless sad stories, it may appear to many present that their lives are going to follow the same path to a hopeless future and without hope, any change is impossible. However the shelters and soup kitchens show the homeless that people still care about them. Ignored, mocked and hated by many, the homeless depend on this kindness. Yet this huge show of charity pales in comparison to the rejection the homeless face by day.
If we would just take the time to realize that the homeless are no different than any of us maybe we could give them the respect they so rightly deserve. Some of them may never be able to work due to their disabilities but by leaving them to the streets they will have no hope for a better future. They may not be contributing to society yet but if we give up on them now, we�re destroying their hopes for a brighter tomorrow.
