That’s Doc for you, a day late and a dollar short: Our previous Brief mentioned that resolving our homeless addiction disorder crisis begins with you, the individual contributor. It is all of us who determine outcomes within our society and culture. Yes, it is a long and convoluted trail that led us to our current social design. Understanding your individual view’s impact on what happens next is how citizens can engage constructively. Is your perception of how and why we have such a large population of homeless well informed? Are people suffering an addiction disorder bad people needing to be punished in order to change their behavior?
It took us, as a nation, many years to realize and accept that addictions are more than making bad decisions and poor lifestyle management. Shall we punish cancer patients, heart deceases, and obesity in order to modify behavior and improve performance? It is well known in circles of human behavioral studies that punishment is the least effective way to influence change in human beings’ behaviors. For assisting with desired change, we at VSN simply reward progress and improvement, while looking through regression and setbacks! The ideology coincides with an ARMOR Program’s first element of Affirmation as well.
Who Governs You
Richard: Dear Friends,
I am fortunate to have many friends. I have also been homeless in the past. Not park bench, or all night on the streets kind of homeless. But when I couldn’t reach any of my friends, I spent a few nights sleeping in the cab of my pickup truck. After that, several friends took me in for various lengths of time. I spent several days on a couch at one friend’s house. Then several months at another family of my friends in their guest room. Never did I have to fear for my survival.
Today, many homeless people are not so fortunate as I was. However, the homeless do have friends. Other homeless people are their friends. They do what they can for each other. They may share some food, or hugs and a blanket. And yes, drugs are often shared as well. Some are military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress, after being involved and exposed to war environments. Others are victims of child abuse and domestic violence. Illness is often another major contributor to homelessness, as our healthcare system is not all that healthy-caring, or a very good system. Still others, just haven’t been able to afford the American Dream of owning a home, or even the cost of renting a dream. Many of the more fortunate see homeless people as a threat to their own way of life, if they even see them at all. Can’t they realize, as Phil Ochs and Joan Baez did, that “There but for Fortune go I”? The image above links to her song on video.
thank you, Richard, for your contributions (Ebner)