Left out to dry...

Why do you think that the homeless are treated with such disdain?

Maybe it has something to do with one's fear of becoming like them. In psychology I learned that we create excuses for the homeless, such as the fact that they are lazy and it is their fault for becoming homeless, so that we can arrive at the solution that we are not lazy and therefore will not become homeless. Because people in general are so fearful of the homeless, they are not wanted in public areas. Shop owners, subway managers, etc. do not want homeless people in their facilities because it makes their facility less attractive to their customers.

Because of these ideas we have developed about them, we are almost ashamed to give them any sort of support. Helping the homeless is seen as agreeing and possibly supporting their lifestyle. People will claim to care about them but will not look them in the face as individuals. Society will give the homeless a helping hand as long as they don’t have to actually touch their hands.

If we don't want to give them homes, and we don't want them on the streets, then where do we want them to go?

            Homeless people have just as much, if not more, of a right to be on the streets because that is, in fact, their home. It's only natural for them to be allowed to sleep under bridges and other abandoned areas. These places are not used by the general public and simply exist. Every night officials and street security wake these people from their sleep and ask them to"move along". Why? They are not in anyone’s way. They should be bothered by officials unless they are being a bother. These people not only are denied a place to sleep also a warm meal. Restaurants don't want homeless customers scaring off their more regular customers. It is illegal to deny service to someone because of gender/race. Denying service to someone because of his or her social standings should be an enforced illegality.

 But who's going to help?