[Istlota]

Originally Posted by Jill

This post jumped out at me because I am the director of a homeless shelter for women and children. I would say 90 percent of homelessness equates to bad choices.

Bsd choices made by who? Read a newspaper. America's largest corporations are dumping their employees like soiled toilet paper.

I see so many who are really good people and have become friends to many who have come through my shelter and the root always goes back to not one but a few bad choices. So I have to agree with it being a choice.

Over a period of six years, I have donated thousands of dollars to homeless shelters --- most of that to Sean Cononie's organization here in South Florida. I have been fortunate enough never to have to stay in a homeless shelter. But, I came close once. I found out first hand that your attitude is common among people who work at homeless shelters --- this mindset that the homeless are foolish and/or lazy.

Now, I would rather give a $100 to a wino on the street, on his way to the liquor store, than donate a dime to a homeless shelter.

Homeless shelters, law enforcement, and the state in general, are all working together to break the spirit of homeless people. The shelters are little more than mind-programming tools designed to warehouse homeless people and remove what little self-respect they have left in return for a cot, or a blanket on the floor, and a meal.

There was an instance that I witnessed first hand where it was a choice: This lady sleeps in the graveyard and under bridges. She does not drink or even smoke a cigarette. She comes to the shelte about once every six months or so to bathe and eat and always she does yard work for me to work for her meal. She don't want a hand out. Someone read of her story in the local newspaper and gave her a house, rent free and utilities paid. She stayed two weeks and went back out to the graveyard. I questioned her only once on this and she told me she cannot conform to society as a whole and decided (again choice) to go against the grain. Definately I agree with choice.

I admire her. She clearly has a lot of pride and recognizes that self respect is infinitely more valuable than material things. She doesn't smoke, drink, or try to con other people out of a free ride. All of which means she is more responsible, and principled, than most of the women I have ever dated ...

Some of the wisest sages to have ever lived in India made the same "bad choice" she did -- to separate from our godless society and live in solitude in the forest. Unfortunately for her, here in AmeriKKKa, the cops will arrest you for vagrancy and/or trespassing if they catch you trying to live in a forest. So, she had to settle for a graveyard.

I _admire_ any homeless person who figures out a way to live outside of the homeless shelter racket.