Comments on: Hating on the homeless: Is a new type of crime emerging in Kelowna?

By: Phil

Phil — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:30:51 +0000

@Brandon

I agree and disagree with you, yes we are responsible for what we do with our income but at the same time it is very easy to get into a bad situation and not being able to come out of it.

This may be due to education, sickness, economy you name it. Over the last couple of months i have met some people who are in situations they never thought they could find themselfs in.

Some lost their houses and can barely afford an apartment some lost their jobs and now CANT afford their apartments. It has little to do in this case with their money management. Many of them had low income jobs and with the loss they have very little or no savings to speak of to begin with. Sure you say its education they could have strived for a higher paying job but you know what ask the person that is a caretaker, server, baker, etc if they love their job and many will tell you that they love to work with people and help and support them. This good heart and intention is what many times makes a community but it seems that when they fall out of luck that community rather seems to want to forget than aid those in help.

Reflection is needed by all of us. I have no hard time to think about me loosing everything because nowadays it is very easy, get sick, invest poorly, have an accident, be divorced, have a child that is sick… There are many factors that can easily change your life and most of the times not for the better.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:26:24 +0000

Brandon,
That is quite an assumption to make. In this province alone we have had all kinds of cuts to social services. I am sure with a few there is poor money management but there are many others who might not have family or have mental illnesses or even alcohol and drug addictions.

Lets not just put them all in one group all cases are different. I think it is easier for you to say that it is poor money management.

I think as time goes by we will see more and more of this. The rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer. We are also losing our middle class.Some people might even be just one pay cheque away from homelessness.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:50:06 +0000

@Mary…The distribution of wealth usually isn’t the problem. It is the homeless persons USE of the wealth they have when they have it. It is often poor money management.

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:09:45 +0000

It is easy to look down on the poor and the homeless and blame them for the problems in our society. We have been taught to look down and bash the poor, the homeless and the disabled because it is easier to do than actually look at issues such as the unequal distribution of wealth in the world. Look at all the corporate welfare that is out there and there is not as much compalining when that happens. That money normally does not even get paid back.
it is easier to spend tax money on building a bigger stadium or pay for olympics than look after the vulnerable in our society.

“There is much suffering in the world – physical, material, mental. The suffering of some can be blamed on the greed of others. The material and physical suffering is suffering from hunger, from homelessness, from all kinds of diseases. But the greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved, having no one. I have come more and more to realize that it is being unwanted, unloved and uncared for that is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience.”
– Mother Teresa