O/T Homelessness In Morecambe and Blackpool

[Trickytreesreds]

Yaaaaawn. As I've already said, the principle of giving overseas aid and the way it's spent are two different subjects. I'm glad we give it, but I wish it was better spent. Just for you, let's think a bit closer to home. Because some benefits are paid to people who fiddle the system, should we stop benefits for everyone?

That's your comparison? lmfaooooooooooooooooo

Just to help you, fiddling benefits is illegal.
If you get caught, you are prosecuted and rightly so.
So by your logic, any country that has fiddled any of this aid money for individual gain. So should lose all aid, no matter how poor it is.

The above spending shows, that £14 billion pound of tax payers money is way too much in aid. If we focused on your bowl of rice theory, than halve it.
That would be £7 billion spent on our problems.
Contrary to what MM is suggesting, it is British tax payers money and its citizens come first.
After that, by all means give away.
The biggest benefactor out of our money is Pakistan!! Why?
If Pakistan can arm itself with Nuclear weapons and have nuclear power stations, it has money to burn on its own poor.

[Elite_Pie]

So by your logic, any country that has fiddled any of this aid money for individual gain. So should lose all aid, no matter how poor it is.

Wrong. By my logic the aid we give to any country, just like the benefits we give over here, should go to those who deserve it.

[magpie_mania]

That's your comparison? lmfaooooooooooooooooo

Just to help you, fiddling benefits is illegal.
If you get caught, you are prosecuted and rightly so.
So by your logic, any country that has fiddled any of this aid money for individual gain. So should lose all aid, no matter how poor it is.

The above spending shows, that £14 billion pound of tax payers money is way too much in aid. If we focused on your bowl of rice theory, than halve it.
That would be £7 billion spent on our problems.
Contrary to what MM is suggesting, it is British tax payers money and its citizens come first.
After that, by all means give away.
The biggest benefactor out of our money is Pakistan!! Why?
If Pakistan can arm itself with Nuclear weapons and have nuclear power stations, it has money to burn on its own poor.

Excuse me, I didn't suggest anything. I asked a question which you side-stepped as it doesn't fit your viewpoint.

As a Christian, you will be aware of the Good Samaritan story, which was told in answer to the question 'Who is my neighbour?'. You have to work it out though!

[BigFatPie]

Christian haha.

He might be a Christian if Jesus said “Blessed are those who believe whatever crap they’ve just read in the Daily Mail or random white supremacist website”.

[gozzie321]

Whilst I am sure there a few homeless who are happy to do so, the vast majority are desperate. The idea of giving foreign aid, much of which is probably funding terrorism, whilst we are billions in debt, is a bit like me owing £50,000,and giving the bloke next door £5,000,some of which hw will probably spend down the pub.

[navypie]

Christian haha.

He might be a Christian if Jesus said “Blessed are those who believe whatever crap they’ve just read in the Daily Mail or random white supremacist website”.

I'm starting to think you might be Alan Partridge fatboy.

[Elite_Pie]

Whilst I am sure there a few homeless who are happy to do so, the vast majority are desperate. The idea of giving foreign aid, much of which is probably funding terrorism, whilst we are billions in debt, is a bit like me owing £50,000,and giving the bloke next door £5,000,some of which hw will probably spend down the pub.

So if you are faced with the choice of giving a few homeless people over here a roof over their heads, or saving the lives of a few African children facing death through starvation, what choice would you make?

[SaltySeaDog]

What an interesting thread. I'm always intrigued (and unfortunately often saddened) to see what opinions people have on such a complex subject as this.

I'll throw in my two pence for what it's worth.

I've worked in a few homeless centres, and from my experience there were about 1-2% that chose that lifestyle. This tended to be to escape the demands of society, and live in a sort of freer way. The overwhelming majority however didn't express this view, and the number of desperate situations people found themselves in was really tough to observe.

We do live in a competitive society where if you are born into the right circumstances, or are fortunate enough to have had a secure upbringing and/or developed the necessary self esteem/confidence you can do very well. If you are on the poorer side of the divide, with a lack of inner strength/stability/security/mental health to thrive in this culture, chances are you will end up on the periphery & with a higher chance of becoming homeless.

If we view mental health and it's side effects (drink/drugs/crime/disruption) as something to lock away, and to shame, we will never solve these issues. Each society will create certain effects due to it's policies, and that particular society should own up to these effects, and deal with them in a mature and compassionate way.

Lots of my friends and family share a similar belief that if you give to a homeless person, then that money will be spent on 'the wrong thing'. Or that there are hoards of non-homeless milking it on the streets and living in mansions. What is interesting however is that none of the people that think this have ever given money, spoken with, or had any real first-hand contact with a homeless person.So my only conclusion from this is that a narrative has been formed from the media, and just circulated, and regurgitated, without anyone really questioning what their beliefs are and whether they actually, truly believe it.

Who cares anyway what that person spends that money on, and who are we to judge them? If we want to give that person some money, it is totally their right to spend it as they wish, and we should accept that. We all have people close to us that spend money on things we wouldn't choose to, but acting superior and judgemental never achieves anything.

Love man, that's answer to it all

[i961pie]

What an interesting thread. I'm always intrigued (and unfortunately often saddened) to see what opinions people have on such a complex subject as this.

I'll throw in my two pence for what it's worth.

I've worked in a few homeless centres, and from my experience there were about 1-2% that chose that lifestyle. This tended to be to escape the demands of society, and live in a sort of freer way. The overwhelming majority however didn't express this view, and the number of desperate situations people found themselves in was really tough to observe.

We do live in a competitive society where if you are born into the right circumstances, or are fortunate enough to have had a secure upbringing and/or developed the necessary self esteem/confidence you can do very well. If you are on the poorer side of the divide, with a lack of inner strength/stability/security/mental health to thrive in this culture, chances are you will end up on the periphery & with a higher chance of becoming homeless.

If we view mental health and it's side effects (drink/drugs/crime/disruption) as something to lock away, and to shame, we will never solve these issues. Each society will create certain effects due to it's policies, and that particular society should own up to these effects, and deal with them in a mature and compassionate way.

Lots of my friends and family share a similar belief that if you give to a homeless person, then that money will be spent on 'the wrong thing'. Or that there are hoards of non-homeless milking it on the streets and living in mansions. What is interesting however is that none of the people that think this have ever given money, spoken with, or had any real first-hand contact with a homeless person.So my only conclusion from this is that a narrative has been formed from the media, and just circulated, and regurgitated, without anyone really questioning what their beliefs are and whether they actually, truly believe it.

Who cares anyway what that person spends that money on, and who are we to judge them? If we want to give that person some money, it is totally their right to spend it as they wish, and we should accept that. We all have people close to us that spend money on things we wouldn't choose to, but acting superior and judgemental never achieves anything.

Love man, that's answer to it all

Great post except your last paragraph, I think most people who give money would care what it was spent on. Personally I would be horrified to know that it went on drugs for instance.

[SaltySeaDog]

Great post except your last paragraph, I think most people who give money would care what it was spent on. Personally I would be horrified to know that it went on drugs for instance.

thanks i961

Yeah, I probably could have worded that a bit better. For me i think when I give money, it's more of an act of compassion to help a fellow being. So I care for that person, and wish them the best, but I try not to presume that I know what that money would be best spending on. That is what i meant by not caring what they spend it on.

It's a huge and very complex problem that takes years to sort out for each individual. I'm just trying to show them some love, say hello, have a chat, to know that they are worth something in someway. So for me if they spent that money (that I have gifted them) on drink or drugs, to find some brief respite from whatever they are going through, I am ok with that.