In the essay "Untouchables" by Jonathan Kozol, he reveals the harsh opinion society has toward the homeless in a blunt way. He exposes an attitude of hatred towards these members of society. Shockingly, the government and society treat the homeless members of humanity as vermin. It seems more important that the homeless are dirty, they hurt business, and that they exist than the fact that they are people who are part of society and with a little help could get back on their feet. Because of this attitude toward the homeless, it seems like the situation is just getting worse.
Evaluate the changing interpretations of Hatshepsut Hatshepsut, daughter of King Thutmose I and the pharaoh of Egypt, is a controversial figure who instigated diverse interpretations from historians over the years. As the longest reigning female pharaoh in Egypt who had ruled over twenty years in the 14th century B.C., Hatshepsut contributed greatly in her building program and had ensured the economic prosperity of Egypt during her reign after the death of her husband, Thomose II. Despite her achievements, Hatshepsut still remains to be a questionable personality to historians, evident in both ancient and modern interpretation of her in relation to her royal image and her involvement in foreign campaigns. In Ancient Egypt, the royal image
Almost everyone has seen a man or woman begging for money at the corner of a highway intersection. A sign usually reads “homeless, need food,” but what brings so many of these people to the corner of a street is quite a controversial topic. Middle-class citizens may lose their job and their home. Similarly, a hardworking citizen may lose his or her apartment due to a new owner who enforces a higher rent. Homelessness can affect anyone, even the middle-class, without the need for drugs and alcohol.
With a large homeless population in the country, actions like these often happen and go unnoticed by the government. With a large homeless population in the country and abusive behaviors happening all the time, the government should step up and provide funding to help the homeless by providing housing, help prevent abuse, and help prevent any homelessness in the future.
This is one of those problems that instead of finding solutions for, most people are “sweeping this problem under the rug” and finding “quick fixes”. The homeless population will continue to be victimized unless we change our attitude towards homeless people. We need to view them as fellow human beings who deserve a place in society. I think you made a great point by saying that “understanding the reasons behind them being homeless” because, in my opinion, that is one the biggest problems. We do not care enough or understand their situation; it is a lot simpler to blame poverty and homelessness on poor people.
According to Aykanian and Lee (2016) individuals who are homeless are often “common targets of policing when their behavior, especially behavior performed in public spaces, is viewed as offensive and deviant” (p. 184). A related point to consider is that some who experience homelessness do engage in criminal activities, but one shall not combine all members in a generalization. Hence, the image of having individuals who are homeless is not ideal for the people in communities, but it does not take into account people who are experiencing
Homeless people have been separated from the general public. The us versus them mentality has become all too prevalent. Many of the general public no longer want to aid the homeless; the stereotypes of this countries homeless have become endless and destructive. Today it is common place to find opinion about the homeless that are more than aggressive. Negative feelings about those who are homeless have aided in the dehumanization of these people, and made it easier to turn a blind eye to their misfortune.
Homelessness is a complex social issue with a variety of economic and social factors such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, physical and mental health, addictions, and community/family breakdowns. Homelessness has increased its number by at least a 1% since last year, reached nearly 554,000 people who are living in harsh conditions. The government and its policies/bans only harm the homeless instead of being beneficial to them. With the “City wide bans on camping in public have increased [along with the]… city wide bans on sleeping in public…, sitting or lying down in particular places… [and,] bands on sleeping in vehicles have [all] increased”(Wiltz).
Imagine yourself on a busy footpath begging for someone to help you, but everyone passing by is saying “sorry I don't have any change”. According to Homelessness Australia, this is the life of roughly 122,000 people in Australia. The dwindling amount of affordable housing is creating even more homeless people, and as a community we must help prevent it. I have seen people sleeping on benches instead of beds and wearing torn and dirty clothes instead of being clean and undamaged. Most of us just ignore them or act like those who are stereotyped as addicts, and forced into begging for money aren’t there, because we think that will solve the problem of homelessness and that will make them disappear, but it doesn’t.
By this, society has sent a message loud and clear, homelessness means no home in society. Anti-homeless spikes. How have we even resorted to this level? Things like this are probably huge reasons so many people feel uncomfortable with the homeless. We feel guilt for the way they are treated, yet people follow the pack.
In all fairness, I had those same ideas too. Many people have driven or walked past a group of homeless people and ignored them or gone out of their way to not make contact. It’s just part of our culture. Homeless people are shunned and looked down upon. Over time, the word homeless has taken on a very negative connotation, and those labels such as, criminal, lazy and addict have taken over our perception of who homeless people are.
I live only a few miles away from Seattle where the shining glass skyscrapers protrude out of the landscape of like giant spikes on the back of a great beast, reflecting the light around them. Right before dusk, the towering Space Needle resembles a charcoal sketch silhouetted against the dying sun. Nestled between mountain ranges, the Puget Sound, and Lakes Union and Washington, this picturesque city may look like a beautiful place to live, but underneath the shining overpasses and next to two huge multi-million dollar sports stadiums, lays a three-mile stretch of tents and garbage where thousands of homeless live. With fires and acts of violence breaking out daily, this chaotic landscape earned the name “the Jungle.” Seattle announced this problem a state emergency back in 2014 when the ever growing population of homeless people grew to an almost uncontrollable amount.
While reading this I couldn't stop thinking how no homeless person deserves to be on the street. No one knows their story if they don't ask. Some could have been very wealthy and lost their job, teenagers could have suffered abuse, or some could have been shunned from their family, but the fact is no one truly knows not unless we take an interest in these people. They are people after all, just like any other person who has a home. We need to help these hurt people.
How many homeless people have you seen around where you live? Do you wish you could do something to help those people? You need to know a couple things about the homeless to understand why they are where they are and if they need help. At the end of the day everyone can all agree that the homeless are still people and they need help getting out of their endless vortex of impending failure that they call a life.
Communities should develop plans to help these people in need and give them a place to stay instead of living on the streets. Society has failed to support these people in need because of the primary focus being on the more fortunate who can give back to the society. I say that the homeless should be prioritized over the wealthy because they are more in need than they are. This being said, we can never blame the individual for what society has put them through. I do believe that if society gives homeless people a second chance they deserve they could strive to make their lives better with our help.
