Last year homeless guy "kindly" pointed out that i HAVE to give him money while standing right in front of my car on Spadina Avenue,after I refused to do so,he almost crashed my front rear window with a stone.

My point: they dont want help? let em be. Atleast we dont have Canadian WWII veterans struggling like in post soviet union countries where they are forced to do the same thing to be able to survive.

___________________
Transmote Me .

quote:

Originally posted by Moral Hazard You cannot equate the free-market system to being part and parcel with christian based morality or any other construct of Christianity.

Yes I can! The free-market system survives because of the security given to it from our governments. There is a notion of "justice" in this governance (e.g. SEC). That same notion of justice provides for those who can't provide for themselves. Tax-free charitable organizations are a part of the same economic system. We save money on tax so that poor people can benefit. The whole damn thing works together and once people start dying out of greed for having more money for non-homeless, the system will fall apart, because we'll be losing the value of sympathy (which, IMO, is embedded in our society's definition of "justice").

quote:

Originally posted by Moral Hazard The problem I have particularly with homelessness (but also with other things such as sub-saharan starvation and excessive care for the terminally ill) is that we must learn to recognize that if the cost exceeds the benefit then we as a people are hurt, not helped, by it.

I believe that support for charity can also be argued on a utilitarian level. Although you don't see a dollar value to the benefit, that's not the only measure. Like you recognized earlier, that warm and fuzzy feeling we have inside when we helped someone in need is a HUGE piece of our social fabric, nay part of HUMANITY!!! Giving to charity and sincerely feeling the blessings (of God OR FATE) is part of what keeps us going, keeps us motivated to continue in our lives (aside from owning a Ferrari one day, of course ).

I know you don't believe in religion and things like fasting, but to feel the suffering of people who are hungry is part of the reason why we fasted during Ramadan. So if staying out in the not-too-cold November night brings me that much closer to humility, then so be it! Even then, I'm spoiled because I don't want to experience it alone like so many homeless people do--I want to be with friends!

quote:

Originally posted by ChemEnhanced I think you should hold off on feeling bad for them until you know why they are homeless.

That is the most important post in this thread, and the most important statement about homelessness in general.

Well played, sir.

quote:

Originally posted by fayraree The free-market system survives because of the security given to it from our governments.

And THAT is positively the most ridiculous post in this thread... and the most ridiculous idea I've heard about the free market in general.

___________________
My party schedule:
2009-02-21 - DJ Attention @ I'm So Popular
2009-06-18 - DJ Annoying @ People Need To Know Where I'll Be
2012-11-32 - DJ Insufferable ɸ Or At Least the Stalkers I Complain About
2048-06-66 - Spastic & Whocares ¶ Although I'm Actually Flattered
9999-45-81 - Tweaker Gimp ☼ I Probably Won't Even Go To This But I Have To Make Sure I Fill Up All The Available Space Here

quote:

Originally posted by MarkT - a significant percentage of the homeless are indeed mentally ill and in need of ongoing treatment. Problem: unless someone poses an imminent danger to either themselves or the public, you can't force them to obtain treatment. Many won't accept treatment and many aren't in the frame of mind to seek it out even if they do want it. It's a bit of a cyclical issue and I'm honeslty not sure how to solve it.

+1

u say that u shouldn't help them because they don't want help, but a lot are not in the proper mindset to mae those decisions. Many have lsipped through the system, with no one to look after them, and unable to do it themselves. to say that we should allow them to die is inhumane and we would be affording them less compassion we do the our pets

quote:

Originally posted by DigiNut That is the most important post in this thread, and the most important statement about homelessness in general. Well played, sir. And THAT is positively the most ridiculous post in this thread... and the most ridiculous idea I've heard about the free market in general.

hey aaron..refute without mockery...lesson #1

i still think my zoo idea would work.

quote:

Originally posted by chanoa hey aaron..refute without mockery...lesson #1

You should follow your own advice. Or did you just learn that in class today?

___________________
My party schedule:
2009-02-21 - DJ Attention @ I'm So Popular
2009-06-18 - DJ Annoying @ People Need To Know Where I'll Be
2012-11-32 - DJ Insufferable ɸ Or At Least the Stalkers I Complain About
2048-06-66 - Spastic & Whocares ¶ Although I'm Actually Flattered
9999-45-81 - Tweaker Gimp ☼ I Probably Won't Even Go To This But I Have To Make Sure I Fill Up All The Available Space Here

quote:

Originally posted by DigiNut You should follow your own advice. Or did you just learn that in class today?

last week :P

quote:

Originally posted by DigiNut You should follow your own advice. Or did you just learn that in class today?

oh man this is getting good. too bad i got to readthis damn flamewar with a thesaraus and a dictionary. for fuck sakes lets dumb it down. make a momma joke or something

quote:

Originally posted by DigiNut And THAT is positively the most ridiculous post in this thread... and the most ridiculous idea I've heard about the free market in general.

Sorry I wasn't clear enough for you. The free-market ECONOMIC system is protected by our government (through its legislative/judicial system). And I was simply connecting this protection/security to a definition of justice which involves sympathy.

One more thought: GOOD = help people live; BAD = let people die. Sorry to bring it up again, but this is connected to my (and general society's) idea of suicide.

EDIT:
One mo' mofoin' thought: GOOD = help Vivid's momma live; BAD = let Vivid's momma die.

quote:

Originally posted by Vivid Boy oh man this is getting good. too bad i got to readthis damn flamewar with a thesaraus and a dictionary. for fuck sakes lets dumb it down. make a momma joke or something

Your momma so stupid, she thought Taco Bell was a mexican phone company.