The Despicable Way We Feel About the Homeless Population

As New Yorkers, we have seen the all too familiar sight of homelessness and those who are affected by it on a daily basis. We see homeless people sleeping on the subway cars, on park benches, on dirty pavements, begging for food and money, pushing carts with garbage, dragging around the little they have everywhere they go. They are the panhandlers, the mentally ill, the uneducated and unmotivated who fell through the cracks, the substance abusers, societys filth, and the bottom of the barrel. This is our perception of the homeless. Notice how none of these ideologies are positive. It’s time we change our perception. We need to learn to see the people who are living under these conditions as people first and not judge or ignore them because of their appearances. In order to do this we have to decrease the stigma associated with being homeless and become more compassionate towards those who experience homelessness. In seems like we have a love/hate relationship with the homeless. At times, we may choose to help a homeless person in need but most of the time we turn a blind eye because it is a common phenomenon. Sometimes we give a homeless person our chump change when we feel sorry for them or we may even provide them with a meal, or perhaps give them a blanket or a coat, or provide shelter when possible. But in most cases, we find them repulsive or lack a better understanding of why they are in these situations, or simply don’t care to understand why. Instead we wish theyShow MoreRelatedJonathan Kozols Amazing Grace Essay852 Words   |  4 PagesTodays world is filled with both great tragedy and abundant joy. In a densely populated metropolis like New York City, on a quick walk down a street you encounter homeless people walking among the most prosperous. Unfortunately, nine times out of ten the prosperous person will trudge straight past the one in need without a second thought. A ser ious problem arises when this happens continually. The problem worsens when you enter a different neighborhood and the well-to-do are far from sight. ManyRead MoreDiscrimination Against Gay Discrimination1779 Words   |  8 Pagesaffected, families are ripped apart, communities are devastated, and legal discrimination runs unbound. While LGBTQ people may be the recipients of this persecution, they are hardly the only ones affected by it. This discrimination permeates society in a way that affects all of us as a whole. Until recently the right of the LGBTQ people (history) In most religions homosexuality is not spoken of, but recently gay marriage has been an emerging topic within religious groups. Different religions around theRead MoreHumans: The Worlds Most Social Animal Essay1993 Words   |  8 PagesAs humans we believe that in all of the world there is no creature superior to us. We believe that our capabilities of coherent thought makes us masters of the earth. The issue with that mentality is that we don’t recognize our flaws and fallacies. We begin trying to decide which type of human is superior, creating divides amongst ourselves, to the point where we are almost no better than the animals we look down upon. Always, in these ever changing situations, will there be leaders. The â€Å"top ofRead MoreRelationship Between Prison And Prison3237 Words   |  13 Pagescomparable to each other. It is believed that the subculture developed in order for inmates to cope with being locked up for years at a time. When an inmate enters a new prison or even their first prison it is not the guards that they have to worry about, it is the other inmates. This is where the word â€Å"prisonization† comes in meaning that the inmate will learn the subculture of the prison that they are in (Prison: 2015). Within hours/days of arriving at their new cell the new inmates might be taken