It is estimated that there are 19,000 homeless people living in Detroit. This man in the photo, who has not been identified, was found in the elevator shaft of an abandoned warehouse. The elevator shaft had flooded and frozen and all that can be seen are his legs, his shoes and socks.
How did this man die? Did he give up and take his own life? Starve to death? Die of alcoholism or drug overdose? Was he murdered? Regardless, he seems to have met his death alone. A body encased in ice, the "unknown homeless man" was someone's brother, son, and maybe a father. I wonder about his family as I look at the picture.
The homeless are vulnerable. They often don't know where they're going to sleep or eat or if they'll survive through the night. There are not enough beds in shelters and when the doors close at night and are locked, the ones left outside are forced to find a doorway, alley or even a garbage bin that will provide shelter.
The homesless are also looked at with indifference in the urban areas in which they inhabit. They become almost invisible to the people who pass them on the streets. I lived in a large city for many years and I saw this happen. People got used to them, didn't look at them, ignored them, looked right through them. Well-dressed pedestrians walked down the streets, eyes averted, not wanting to make eye contact. Was it fear? Guilt? Shame?
In the case of this homeless man in Detroit, indifference even applied to the discovery of this dead man. His body had been discovered a week prior to its recovery, but the finder did not report it. He told a friend, who later called 911. The finder, an "urban explorer" who liked to prowl through abandoned buildings and take pictures of urban decay, had not wanted to admit that he was trespassing. So he and his buddies played hockey on the ice of the flooded warehouse basement and left.
The next time you encounter a homeless person, remember this man. Don't look away. The tragedy of homeless is one thing, but indifference is another. Every human being has worth. They deserve to be acknowledged. Mother Teresa, who worked with the poor, sick and homeless in Calcutta, India did not look away or show indifference. She looked directly into the eyes of these people. She said she saw Christ in the face of each one.
Photo: Max Ortiz/Detroit News
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Comments: 90
Sigh. "They deserve to be acknowledged." Always.
Since when are people "disposable"?
It is such a tragedy in this country.
"Since when are people "disposable"? Since the neocons convinced people to believe that people who can't take care of themselves are leaches that don't deserve two cents of their "hard-earned" tax dollars.
So when people talk about how wonderful "Reganomics" was, I want to kick them in their metaphors.
Carla, this makes my heart hurt. What WOULD Jesus do?
Wilka
I was about to post an article very similar to this.
Mooch
I can't tell you how livid this all makes me.
Great article Carla.
Blessings.
Well obviously if there was a homeless person in Oconomowoc he would either be in Jail, a mental institution or he would have to find a community that is tolerant of vagrancy. San Francisco treats the homeless as if they were God's children and look how many live there. Tolerance breeds homelessness. I really don't have a problem with the homeless migrating to democrat controlled communities because I certainly won't be living there and since liberals like them so much they can get off their butts and help them instead of arguing who ELSE should have to pay for them..
As far as community services, we have a coalition of churches that help people who get in financial trouble with food and vouchers to pay for rent. Responsible people find a way to get back on their feet so it's my opinion that chronic homelessness is a borderline crime. As far as I am concerned, The company I work for requires drug testing and you get 2 strikes and you are out. There should be a similar rule for welfare recipients. If I am required to to pass a drug test so that I can pay taxes that go to bums, they should have to pass a test as well.
"Chronic homelessness is a borderline crime," says Jeff.
Well, if it's a crime then maybe we should lock them up in our jails and they'd at least have a place to sleep. But I know, you wouldn't like your hard earned money being used to pay for those lazy homeless people--right, Jeff?
I guess if we had more mental hospitals we could take care of the many homeless people who are mentally ill or have problems with addictions. But that would cost more of Jeff's tax money too.
Well, maybe Jeff would be happy if all the homeless ended up in an abandoned warehouse frozen in a block of ice so he wouldn't have to pay for the "bums".
All I can say is, I hope that you never find yourself in a situation where you're homelss, Jeff. But if you do, I hope you encounter people that are more compassionate than you are.
Oh yes, and Jeff, one other thing. All of these people ARE God's children.
Actually that IS what I pay taxes for. Of course I want them looked up.
"""Kathy, yes, what would Jesus do? We know what our compassionate friend, Jeff, would do about homelessness""""
Maybe if Jesus was alive he could turn water into wine for the bums so that don't have to beg for spare change.
Seriously though, Just because I don't believe in your solutions doesn't mean I don't care. Carla despite the fact that you feel sorry for these people, I honestly think that you and all the excuses are part of the problem.
And Sandy, why would I lie about not having any homeless people in my city? If we did have a homeless problem I wouldn't stop bitching about it.
Here is a good clip showing how rough the homeless in America have it......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4teq7aKTNJ4
Actually I drive a big Cadillac Deville. Pimpin aint easy.......
I would believe that you don't see the homeless people in your city, though.
Doesn't surprise me a bit. But I also think that, as Sandy said, you might be stretching the truth a bit.
I work for a charity and we've been having 300 more families coming in for help every month since October. The need is great. The churches here have started an Interfaith Network where each church sponsors homeless families for one week at a time. The family eats therir dinner at the church and sleeps there and then the next morning they either go to a shelter, the kids go to school or the people go to work. There are many homeleess who have jobs but just cannot afford a deposit and rent money.
What have I ever lied about? Just because you don't believe me doesn't mean it's a lie. And what truth did I stretch? Vagrancy is illegal in Oconomowoc. It's in the books.
"""""I was reading an article today about how the city where the Super Bowl is being played this year has been doing a sweep of the streets and arresting the homeless for "loitering". The plan is to hold them in jail until after the big game. Apparently, this is a custom in many cities that host big, national events. It's to "protect the tourists." """"
Isn't it ironic how cities use the money from citizens to clean up the streets and the unsavory characters for tourists but couldn't care less about protecting the actual tax paying citizens anytime else?
""""Jeff: I pity you. what a miserable, insular life you must lead. Out of sight, out of mind. """"
I am not miserable I just don't see how making homelessness comfortable solves anything. You can call it mean spirited and assume that I am the reason homeless exists because I refuse to help pay to make homelessness easy but I think making it easy breeds it in the first place. I support taxes paying for the mentally handicapped but I think the overwhelming majority of homeless, at least the ones I have seen in Milwaukee and Madison are alcoholics. They lay around in parks with empty beer cans and whiskey bottles.
Also the homeless I speak of are the chronic homeless not people with temporary set-backs. There are all kinds of safety nets in welfare programs and assistance both public and private available for those who lose their jobs. Responsibility and work ethic determines who gets back on their feet and who doesn't.
This ABC report actually agrees with me and thinks people like Carla who jump over each other to help these people are making the problem worse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4teq7aKTNJ4
Jeff please take your head out of the sand. Your town is no Utopia.
[Did you also know that Vlaad the Impaler's title (Dracula) was a direct reference to a title given to him for defending the Catholic Church?]
The concept that all the undesirables should get quietly destroyed has already been tried: Nazi Germany. Let's be a little smarter and more compassionate.
When I worked downtown, we had a few homeless people that wandered around the area during the day. They were all mentally disturbed in some way. None of them ever asked me for a handout or bothered me. They were too immersed in the worlds inside their heads. It's a sad truth that so many homeless are mentally or emotionally disturbed and that our government policies provide little care for them.
My son lost his job in June, and subsequently, was evicted for not paying his rent in August. He spent a few weeks living in his car. Now, he is living in a dump of a hotel, on his unemployment. He is NOT lazy. He spends all day, every day, walking the streets looking for WORK, not money. The hotel he has been living at is full of FAMILIES who share his homelessness. They can get food stamps, if they are "lucky." The room next door to him has been occupied by a family of five, for months.
A friend of mine runs a homeless shelter and provides services to homeless families. Her information on the subject of homelessness is frightening. As far back as 1990, the average age of the homeless person in the US was age 7. I can only imagine what the numbers are now.
Big smile was on my face when she returned with a poster, because that was soooo in keeping with what Obama would have done -- to give an homeless woman that poster. I was waiting for my date to bring the car around, so we had plenty of time to talk -- she and I.
Jeff, this is for you: She HAD a job -- a GOOD one! Thanks to the Bush Administration, and some other hard knocks, she had lost her job. She had NO family in California; her entire family had gone back to Texas, since California was too expensive. Maybe, she was homeless, but if you look, REALLY LOOK into the person, beyond the surface of the not-so-nice clothing, and so forth, you SHALL see just who that person really is. I shall not get into all that we did and said to each other (we didn't have much time, and my date has ZERO patience), but she is no different from you, me, or anyone else here on Gather. I dare say that she is SMARTER than many on Gather.
You've heard me mention Andrew, the homeless fellow my mother took in? A WWII decorated veteran, whose only problem today, would be diagnosed as PTSD.
It's just as all of us said who worked for the telephone company, because we did not wish to lose sight of reality: scratch all the cutesy little fringe benefits, 401ks,
the nice salary -- forget it all! The REALITY was that we were all just a paycheck or two away from being homeless ourselves -- THAT . . .is REALITY, and we never forgot it.
A paycheck or two away.
Nothing like this economy to cause those words to become reality for so many, right.
That's not indifference that's down right evil!
Needless to say, we don't have one single homeless person living in our community.
Typical Jeff... that just means they moved on to some one else's community, maybe died on the road trying to get somewhere where they weren't run off by the law.
If you go to downtown San Antonio and the tourist areas it looks like we don't have any homeless either... until you look under the highway overpasses, or the bus shelters in less prosperous areas of town...
Prior to my knowing her, one of my friends, 'K' was homeless for the better part of a year due to being laid off of work and health issues. She asked her Dad for help and he never returned her calls. She lived in her car and spent her days looking for work. When another aquaintance of mine, 'S' gave her a job at the restaurant she managed, 'K' parked her car in the restaurant parking lot and lived there until she had enough money to pay deposit and rent on an apartment. Now several years later 'K' just bought herself a small house yet lives in constant fear of losing everything and ending up on the streets again.
No health insurance, no family willing to help and no job were all it took for her to end up homeless... most of us are only one paycheck and a catastrophic illness away from being homeless!
But I am not oblivious to the world. I know there are homeless in the world but they tend to be where excuses are made for them. You guys continue to claim that there are homeless people in my city but I will give 1000 dollars for every homeless person you can find in Oconomowoc to the charity of your choice. (crickets chirping......)
I believe in a kinship of mankind. We are all children of God, contrary to your opinion and brothers and sisters in our humanity. When we lose that compassion for one another we lose our soul. I feel sad that you lost your mother at such an early age and had to be on your own so young. But that should make you even more compassionate to the struggles of others. You don't have to open your wallet to people, just open your heart and your mind to seeing them in a different way. And don't project onto them your stereotypes and attitudes.
Instead of arguing about how much sympathy these people deserve, we should be arguing about solutions. Mine is to ban it but it doesn't mean I don't support giving those a hand who are in need. Until some responsibility is placed on the freeloaders I honestly don't see anything changing. My community isn't calloused we just have higher standards and expectations. The fact that the homeless just go to a place that is more tolerant doesn't prove that tolerance or excessive compassion is the answer. It could be more of an enabler than you think. A lot of these people take the food and shelter given to them and they spend the day pan handling so they can get some hard liquor to get annihilated. The compassion is killing these people on the installment plan not helping.
I am not taking anything away from people who want to help and religious organizations that are dedicated to helping these people but it seems to me that it is just prolonging the misery and deteriorating the health of people that could otherwise be productive citizens.
I'm going to steal that phrase! A lot of people need to be kicked in their metaphors.
I'm pretty sure Jeff is telling the truth, by the way. Would you stay in Oconomowoc if you were homeless and there were no shelters and no services available, or would you head for a slightly larger and warmer city with shelters, tunnels, subways, etc?
But honestly, Jeff, I'm really tired of trying to get through to you on this. It's pretty clear that your mind is closed. As well as your heart.
And yes, Aniko, you have a point. Besides that, it's cold as hell there.
A 10 nonetheless.
"""Jeff, do you understand how the present "welfare" system works? Do you understand that it is only temporary assistance and can be received for no more than five years over the course of a person's lifetime?""""
I thought that states regulated welfare but regardless, you think it is unfair and unreasonable to expect somebody to get a job within 5 years? Come on Carla!
""""The average age of a person on public assistance in this country is 9 years old."""
Yeah and the biggest health concern among poor children is obesity. And please don't go on a fast food rant, food stamps aren't excepted there......
"""In fact the U.S. has the highest percentage of children living in poverty of any industrialized country. 22 percent. Italy is second highest with 16%""""
Yeah but do they consider the living standards of each country or do they go by what each country considers poverty? Those numbers are always twisted. By the way, what percentage of the world is industrialised? 10% Any money says the lowest one percent of Americans lives better than than 90% of the worlds population.
"""It's pretty clear that your mind is closed. As well as your heart. """
Who's mind is closed? I am the one who has repeatedly tried to differentiate between the chronic homeless and people on hard times. I am the one who thinks we need to change policy and you are the one that says we have to keep doing what we are doing only more. Throwing "children" into the equation was low but typical of liberal talking points. I never once and never will call a child a free loader. I made it clear who I think the free loaders are. You don't want to discuss policy you just want to demagogue.
You can have your dignity or your kids can have health care. What a freaking choice!
(Also, fast food establishments don't ACCEPT food stamps. To make food stamps last, you have to eat a lot of pasta and cheap shit food. Another choice- eat well for a couple weeks or keep a full stomach for the month.)
By banning homelessness you create a situation that requires a solution. The liberal mantra of "we have to give more" is a worn out, tried and failed idea that does NOTHING to solve the problem. In my city it is illegal to be drunk in public. It is illegal to sleep in the parks. These laws are enforced but if a citizen in my town decided to take up alcoholism and laziness, is life would be pretty miserable. So he has a choice. Clean up his act or go to a city that thinks society caused his laziness. These cities don't expect them to get off their asses and the buses on election day always come with a ride to the voting booth and a banquet afterwards so why would democrats want to end a good arrangement?
What if there was nowhere else to go? What if pan handling was illegal everywhere? What if you couldn't bum around in public parks intoxicated and begging for change? What if there was only one decision a homeless person could make if he wanted to live?
I shop too and you can eat healthy probably cheaper than eating the cheap crap. I am a body builder and my food budget is cheaper than everybody I know. I also know people on food stamps and they have more food than a person could eat. Then again this is Wisconsin..... Every state is different....
I am all for giving people a hand. But I am opposed to giving them a hammock.
EM please watch this video and tell me what you think.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4teq7aKTNJ4
And what if he wasn't able, mentally or physically, to follow through on it. Even if it's a drug or alcohol addiction, not being able to help themselves is not a terminal offense. No one deserves this sentence, when we have the ability to help. Just admit it's a Zyklon B solution Jeff, because taken to it's natural conclusion, that is the result of this type of thinking, extermination.
And once again Sandy, a brilliant articulate response to my points. How do you do it?
Who am I? Just a guy with an ounce of compassion, that's all. Terry Schiavo, in spite of all the repug hystrionics was a brain dead woman that had specifically requested not to be kept alive under those circumstances. Which one of your shyster doctor congressmen was it that swore she was still alive in there? I guess he did the public some good changing professions, lol. Brain dead, not the same thing.
I also worked for a church that in the years I worked there (1998-2000) spent $40,000 per year helping the poor and near homeless so they didn't end up homeless.
I don't know what to do about people like my brother who didn't want to be part of society again. Didn't want to stay in a shelter...because they wouldn't let him drink.
But for people who never intended to be homeless, I think that the government agencies need to be more aware of what non-profits in the area are doing...or at least to send people to the "clearinghouse of non-profits" - United Way. Instead of merely telling someone, "Oh well, you don't qualify and we can't help" it would be great if the referred them to some non-profit that could.
And I was homeless at 16 till I was 17, and it sure wasn't by choice.
I wish I could say that where I am now there is no homeless, but we see it quite frequently in the countryside, a farmer has stuck up a sign saying warm hay and warm food in barn for some of our wayside travelers.
Nellie, there are many homeless teenagers. I'm glad that you did not have to live like that for longer than a year--although even that is far too long. That farmer that you mention has a warm heart along with warm hay and warm food.
He chose that life for himself. He lost his family and his house because of alcohol. But I also blam the medical community just a bit. Some stupid doctor told him that if he continued drinking (when he was in his mid-30s) that he would die by the age of 40. I guess he figured that wasn't such a bad idea - dying by 40 - so he continued to drink and that's when he ruined his liver and kidneys. It was both the alcohol and the dozens (per day) of over-the-counter pain pills he took that combined ruined his organs.
He'd live with me or one of my sisters or our parents for months at a time and get sober, then take a bus back to Pittsburgh, where he would elapse back into his old ways.
Do you think it was really him that chose that life, or the addiction? I kind of tend to think that people addicted to anything have no ability to make right thinking choices until they get help. I am terribly sorry to hear of your brother's demise though. I understand the heartbreak of that slow spiral to the end. I had a great uncle (younger than the title would imply) that succumbed to the same general fate, despite all of our entreaties. It became obvious that even when he wanted to do something to extract himself, he was helpless in the face of alcohol, entirely.