Preview

Summary: The Effects Of Both Sides Of Homelessness

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2557 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Summary: The Effects Of Both Sides Of Homelessness
Chloe Chen
Writing 2
April 29, 2013
Homelessness: The Effects of Both Sides C.S. Lewis, a famous British writer once said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” Virtues like generosity, hope, and justice are merely words without courage. Many people will come to crossroads where they face difficult decisions they must make; courage must be the core involvement for executing any task. There are no restraints within us when we all have to face decisions, choices, and obstacles ­– how we deal with those situations and people enable us to find harmony with one another and balance in life. We differentiate the human race through social groups of all kinds; from the poor, middle class to
…show more content…

It has been presented as a rising issue since the 1980s when mainstream media decided to uncover this phenomenon to the world. How does homelessness affect our communities? The answers are simple – it affects all of us in more ways than we have been able to comprehend. There are practical, economical, psychological, and moral effects that contribute to our lives and standard of living among the homeless population. In the Los Angeles Times, Marosi composed an article of a court ruling that dropped charges for the homeless man sleeping in a public area. However, community leaders and residents are afraid that “weakening anti-camping laws” will encourage homelessness to increase even more since the 1980s (Marosi, Los Angeles Times). Marosi argued that other cities have passed similar anti-camping laws since Santa Ana’s 1992 ordinance and thus created a less hazardous public environment for the community. “Berkely in December [1999] became the latest city to prohibit lying down on sidewalks, prompted by merchants’ complaints about homeless people harassing shoppers” (Marosi, Los Angeles Times). Passing these laws, the community has regained order and pushed the homeless people from public view. When the homeless are seen across cities and pan handling off freeways, it creates an unpleasant indication that our society has fallen apart. Being able to see homelessness …show more content…

J. "Lending a `Helping Hand, Not a Handout ' Homeless: The City has
Tentatively Approved a Policy of Discouraging Panhandlers while Encouraging Donations to Private Agencies Serving them." Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext): 1. Mar 18 1993. ProQuest. Web. 23 Apr. 2013 .
Bridgman, Rae, Irene Glasser, and Douglass Drozdow-St Christian. "[Braving the Street:
The Anthropology of Homelessness]."Anthropologica 43.2 (2001): 292-294. ProQuest. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.
Fischer, Sean N., et al. "Homelessness, Mental Illness, and Criminal Activity:
Examining Patterns Over Time." American Journal of Community Psychology 42.3-4 (2008): 251-265. ProQuest. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.
Garrison, Jessica. "Finding L.A. 's Hidden Homeless; Thousands Live in Trees, Under
Freeways, in Caves on the Fringes of Wilderness. Some have TVs, Grills, Pets." Los Angeles Times: A.1. Aug 23 2008. ProQuest. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.
Marosi, Richard. "Ruling Sides with Homeless; Courts: Appeals Panel Throws Out
Conviction of Man Cited Under Santa Ana 's Anti-Camping Law, Saying Lack of Shelter can be Defense. the Ordinance Still Stands, but Violators have New Tool in Court." Los Angeles Times: 3. Mar 01 1999. ProQuest. Web. 22 Apr. 2013


You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Scott Branesford

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In Scott Bransford article “Camping for Their Live”, Bransford writes about a newlywed couple Marie and Francisco Caro and many other homeless people in California’s Central Valley. The Caros didn’t have enough money to put a down payment on a home therefore they became homeless. Bransford uses a concerned tone when writing about the homeless in California. Bransford has some strengths and some weaknesses in his article. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of tent cities and the people who live in them. Bransford is biased towards helping homeless people. Bransford has a concerned and sympathic tone in his article about the homeless people in California’s Central Valley.…

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A problem that persists through every part of the world is a lack of compassion for the homeless. No matter how many charities are available for people to donate to, they are often careless and forgetful. This problem stems from laziness and a lack of motivation to be involved. This carelessness can account for the lack of resources or the lack of knowledge about resources for the homeless.…

    • 211 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Homefront is activities of civilians when their nation was at war. Military sources depended on homefront civilians. Such as factories to support the military front.…

    • 168 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” - C. S. Lewis…

    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “Across the country, about 9.6 million families spend over half of their income on housing” (Vestal). Numbers like this wouldn’t be so large if these issues were paid more attention to. These families are just trying to have a home, and a roof over their heads to keep them sheltered. They shouldn’t have to go completely broke because of this. If there were more opportunities for these families to have more affordable housing there wouldn’t be so many people struggling to make ends meet. Even with the help of the state, if the family gets it, their lives will still continue to unravel without stable housing (Vestal). That is why these families keep using most of their income to pay for their home. There was a national increase in poverty…

    • 1666 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In today’s world, we experience a lot of people that are homeless. Every state has individuals that are living on the street and are lacking resources on shelters, jobs, food pantries, and etc. However, there are many stereotypes about the homeless. There are some that will argue that you chose the life you want to live, but what about the individuals with disabilities without a home because their family did not want them. What about families that previously had a job, got laid off, can not pay their bills, and certain situations brought them to living on the streets? Have you heard the stereotype that the homeless try to just get extra money and that they are not really homeless? As a Social Worker, our job would be leadership, advocating,…

    • 155 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    My friends and I left the restaurant, laughing. It was getting dark and the city was beautifully lit. We smiled and chatted as we walked through downtown. Suddenly my eyes fell on a young woman arranging her sleeping quarters in the middle of the sidewalk. She looked barely older than me - she could have easily been a college student. The girl sat down and pulled a few dirty blankets over her body, preparing for the night’s sleep. I was staggered by the similarities between the two of us. Her face stuck in my memory as I got home and climbed into my comfortable bunk bed. People my age weren’t supposed to be homeless, were they? Where was her family, her connections? Why would she be on the streets? Were there more people like her or was she an anomaly? I realized I knew nothing about homelessness and had instead been subconsciously analyzing it with my own preconceptions as a basis. But I wasn’t the only one allowing myself to remain so misinformed. Research shows there are almost ubiquitous misconceptions concerning homelessness and the stigma against it, especially when it comes to the demographics of the homeless population, the amount of crimes…

    • 1325 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Homeless people have the tendency to treat the streets of cities like their personal homes. It’s only natural that they do this because hey, the streets are their homes. But this becomes a problem when you are strolling the streets of your beautiful city and are overwhelmed and distressed by the horrific stench of urine and waste consume the side walk. Like I said before, the sidewalks are homeless people’s homes but when you have to hold your breath, it becomes a problem.…

    • 83 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Homelessness is one of the biggest issues that people face in many counties. The United States faces many homelessness issues. Homelessness issues create many social, economical and security problems which should be dealt with very seriously by the government and the society as well to ensure the well being of all people in the society. Homeless issues differ from a city to another based on the typist of people and opportunities of each city. But let’s face it, what are the major causes of being homeless? There are many causes that could make the normal person living turned into homeless and that based on some causes such as: lack of education, work opportunities, mental, physical problems and social responsibilities.…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From a young age, my life has been presented with many adversities. Some of these hardships included childhood obesity, being bullied, and homelessness. After my parents divorced when I was young, my dad forced my mother and I to leave our home. As a result, we were homeless. However, we were able to overcome this hardship thanks to the generosity of others. Coming from a low-income background, my mother and I could only afford unhealthy foods. My eating pattern along with lack of exercise lead to me weighing over 280 pounds when I was in the 7th grade. Due to my obesity, I was often bullied by children in my school. In order to hide the pain, I was feeling, I would look towards food as a comfort. One day in 8th grade I had decided that I did not want to live my life this way anymore. As a result, I started eating healthier and exercising regularly. Through this process I was able to lose over 100 pounds. By experiencing obesity, being bullied, and homelessness at a young age, I was able to develop the characteristics of being strong, driven towards success, and caring for others. Through my experiences, I have decided that I want to encourage children who are experiencing similar situations that they can overcome them.…

    • 255 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Poverty in America is a subject that though everybody recognizes is existent, most do not pay attention to very often. In 2010 the poverty line for a family of four was $22,314.00 and 15.1% of Americans were living off of less than that (Tavernise, 2011). While 15.1% is a high number to begin with, the truth is that many more people are living on the verge of homelessness. Countless families are split up every night with children going to a friend’s house or an extended family member’s house to ensure that everyone has somewhere to sleep. These people are called the “hidden homeless” by the Charlotte Observer (Whitesides, 2011). Even more people are either living in tent cities or in their cars all around the United States. The events that lead to homelessness range from drug abuse to being laid off from a career because of a poor economy; but sadly the former makes it seem as if everyone who is homeless is in their situation because of their own faults. Many people who are approached by someone who is homeless or sees them panhandling for money hesitate to offer money because of the discourse that all homeless people are alcoholics and drug abusers. Unfortunately, the truth is that “many adults panhandle on corners for money to pay for a cheap motel room so that their children can have a warm place to sleep for the night” (Whitesides, 2011). Through this essay, the topic of homelessness and poverty in America will be explored by understanding some of the causes that have contributed to poverty throughout history and how the homeless are coping with their situation.…

    • 2431 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Homelessness is a growing social injustice in the United States. The degradation that these people face every day is terrifying. It is a crisis that we too often ignore, hoping it will restore itself. That assumption delivers a widespread lack of understanding about the facts that lead to homelessness. Homelessness exists as a problem that we should acknowledge and treat.…

    • 809 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Our perceptions of the homeless and our perceptions of those that live in poverty is that homelessness and poverty are two of the most critical social issues impacting millions of people today. Some people living in poverty trend to believe that they deserve a helping hand at all times. There are so many challenges of living in poverty, especially the struggles to escape from it. As in the book of Scratch Beginnings, Adam met a few people that are homeless and going through life in poverty like James who had a bitter divorce and his wife took everything from him. Sgt. Mendoza a retired army veteran. Phil Coleman and Easy E. Marco the king of the shelter. Hustle Man who sold copies of the post and courier, local newspaper to have money in his pocket. The guy in the wheel chair who got hit by a car. The guy that talked about the war or the guy who got stabbed outside the shelter with a six-inch blade and came to the soup kitchen to show off his wound. He also met three different types of people in the shelter the mentally afflicted, the bums, and the victims of different circumstances that have no fault being perceptions of homelessness due to poverty. For many, homelessness and poverty is a vicious cycle that devastates lives of everyone that is affected. I believe that poverty shouldn’t be a life sentences. If there’s a will there is a way and anything can be accomplished if you want it. Adam never thought that being homeless was going to be very hard, sad, depressing, tiring, and difficult in surviving in the real world. Adam learned that he is the product of his surroundings, his families, his peers, and the environment. Homelessness and poverty can show realities, and misconceptions about what they both are about. Homelessness is in high rise due to financial fallout leaving people needing their basic necessities like food, shelter, and personal care.…

    • 576 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It doesn’t matter if you’re young and single looking for a home close to the beach, middle age or older and you want a home that will be great for raising a family Belmont Shore, CA. is a great place. There are a variety of schools elementary, middle school, high school and Cal-State Long Beach. If you have to commute for work all the major freeways are in close proximity. The crime rate is low and residents are relatively safe. However, residents have expressed more and more concern about the homeless population in the neighborhood. The homeless people have slept at the beach at night and migrate to the neighborhood during the day. Their behavior is sometimes problematic. The problem is being addressed between city officials and…

    • 128 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Being from southeast Ohio means many things, none of which are particularly beneficial. For example, the average income per household is an abysmal twenty six thousand per year, and along with the dreadful income resides an even worse economy. Jobs are grueling to come by as businesses are fleeing with every chance they receive, and there’s no desire by any new corporations to enter the area. As the job market is becoming worse with each passing year, the number of the homeless compared to the population is growing astronomically without an end in sight. A low income combined with the dreadful economy leads to people not having any money to spare on the few sources of entertainment there are left, so the crime rate is astonishing and drugs are exceptionally prevalent.…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays