Homeless man's walking staff

[Guyon]

The overwhelming majority of street people, on the other hand, do have substance abuse or mental illness issues, and that's why they're on the streets.

I don't know enough about the homeless to debate the issue, but Phil, you've just made a statistical claim ("overwhelming majority" or to paraphrase, significantly greater than 50%) without citing the source. A bit of nitpicking, of course, but then you asked others for their sources.

 

[udtjim]

While what you say is true, the reasons do not alter the circumstances. A half starved half frozen person needs help and sometimes they throw that help back in your face.

 

[Phil Elmore]

I don't know enough about the homeless to debate the issue, but Phil, you've just made a statistical claim ("overwhelming majority" or to paraphrase, significantly greater than 50%) without citing the source. A bit of nitpicking, of course, but then you asked others for their sources.

And that's entirely fair of you to ask.

The Treatment Advocacy Center (www.psychlaws.org) estimates, in its fact sheet on the homeless, that one third of the 600,000 homeless persons (as estimated by the Department of Health and Human Services) are schizophrenics or manic depressives. Healing Hands, a publication of the HCH Clinicians' Network (www.nhchc.org), estimates that 38% of homeless adults have mental health problems, while fully 46% of homeless men report alcohol problems (and 30% of them report drug problems).

The Treatment Advocacy Center's Fact Sheet cites a 1993 study of HIV among homeless men in a New York City shelter, in which 19 percent of those living in the shelter tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS. According to a later study (April, 2002) in the Journal of Clinical Astroenterology (Viral Hepatitis and Other Infectious Diseases in a Homeless Population), “Chronic hepatitis C and co-infections are common among the homeless population.”

Still another study, Ectoparasitism and Vector-Borne Diseases in 930 Homeless People From Marseilles, published in the journal Medicine in January 2005, concludes grimly, “Homeless people are particularly exposed to ectoparasites...Over 4 years, 930 homeless people were enrolled. Lice were found in 22% and were associated with hypereosinophilia... Twenty-seven patients (3%) with scabies were treated... The uncontrolled louse infestation of this population should alert the community to the possibility of severe re-emerging louse-borne infections.”

What that boils down to when you add them together is that most homeless people have either mental illness or substance abuse issues, while a very significant percentage of them present a very real threat of contagious disease or disease-bearing organisms.

 

[Scott Free]

Merry Christmas, everyone.

This started out as a nice warm Christmas story. Then it turned into a lot of interesting personal stories. Now it's something that might get moved to Political. Come on, guys. It's Christmas.

 

[Don Rearic]

Over twenty years ago now, I was a much younger man and I was watching Frank Zappa on The Alan Thicke Show, I think that is how he spells his name. Thicke of The Night, I believe it was. Frank Zappa was talking about the explosion of homeless people in the country and advised them all to be placed on Ronald Reagan's Ranch in California as he was the reason they became homeless.

I am not a fool. Even then, I didn't quite know what the hell caused it. My Mother and I lived a very lean life for years after my Dad died and we were close to homelessness on many occasions.

Later on, I read that the ACLU had sued various jurisdictions and individual mental hospitals about laws and guidelines, respectively, about involuntary commitment to mental hospitals and a plethora of other issues surrounding mental health.

So, because it was so easy to commit people against their will to a nuthouse, we threw the baby out with the bathwater! But it wasn't "conservative" or "republican" heartlessness that did it, it was an attempt to stop the racket of committing people against their will who were not really ill to begin with and the sad byproduct of that is what we have now.

 

[wildmike]

No one is challengong the fact that many of the homeless have Drug or alchohol problems. But then so do many of the "normal"" population.

I challenge anyone to live with the stress and other problems of the homeless for 6 months and not develop some type of problem, either emotionally or with a coping mechanism (alchohol or drugs).

Homelessness is a VERY complex problem. In many cases it is subject to local causes which contribute to the problem, as well as Economic factors.

I didn't want to believe thaose statistics when I read them. However they have been proven through personal experience and verified by a lot of contacts with homeless outreach people throughout the country.

I'm not attemnpting to give anyone a false nobility. However I will stand for a shared humanity.

I was astounded here when we got out and did a true census of the homeless persons in this county. We counted 1278 visible homeless. (folks camping out or staying in shelters). We counted 2800 who were invisible homeless (staying for short periods with friends, couch surfing, squating etc.) Far too many of them were homeless youth, many of whom were still going to school during the day.

Some of the homeless can be a threat, but not most.

As to lice. Hell Phil most every public school child here in this area has been infected with them at least once. So by your thinking school kids must be a health threat. The real threat in that case isn't the homeless infestee but the conditions they have to live in which support the infestation. You might want to contact your local public health agency and go through a training session ya might learn something.

We are all the same. Human being walking on this rock. The idea that anyoner is below another is the cause of a horrible amount of human syuffering. I shared what I did not to provoke pity...nor establish nobility. But to highlight that the issue is complex and that throwing government money at it just doesn't accomplish much.

The most effective works I've seen done in helping the homeless are individual works with donated materials done out of human kindness. It is amazing how much of an impact it makes to be treated like a human when you have been being treated like scum for so long.

 

[dawsonbob]

Phil, I agree with much — but not necessarily all — of what you're saying. For one thing, I see nothing "noble" in the homeless. That, I believe, is a fiction of the liberal mind. There is nothing noble, as far as I can tell, about living on the street.

I have some sympathy for the plight of many of the homeless; those who are there through circumstances beyond their control. On the other hand, I have no sympathy for those who choose to be there, for whatever reason. But there is a portion — to which you alluded — who fall somewhere in between: those with substance abuse or mental problems. I have no idea what the actual stats are on any of those categories, and it really doesn't make a lot of difference to me.

I once had a drinking problem, and was close to becoming homeless myself. Fortunately, I got myself straightened out in time: others haven't been so lucky. I became part of a program at the Veterans Administration that studied some of these problems, and why so many vets were turning to drugs and alcohol. The numbers were (and probably still are) shocking. The study also looked at what kind of vet succumbed to the lure of drugs and alcohol. As far as I know, there was no type. I was a former commissioned officer, well trained and strong, yet it happened to me.

Then there are the ones with mental problems. I don't know what the answer there is: how would you categorize them? Are they out there because they choose to be, or is it beyond their control? Either way, you're right: many of them are dangerous and should be avoided.

One thing I've learned from paying attention to these people is to not give them money. If you do, you're not helping them by enabling them to support their habit. I'll buy them food, I'll take them to a mission, but I won't give them money.

There are all kinds of people who are homeless, for any number of reasons. I'm more interested in the vets than in any others, and do what I can to help when I can.

All this probably deserves more attention than I'm devoting to it at the moment. I have a couple of people here watching football and yelling, so I'm somewhat distracted.

 

[myright]

WTH happened to this thread? Didn't this start about a "moment" in someone's life and a cool looking walking stick?

 

[Don Rearic]

Yeah, it did.

 

[udtjim]

And a good thread it is. Merry Xmas to everyone here.

 

[shecky]

Once again, Sharp Phil comes to*shit on a thread, this time with his jihad on the homeless. They are out to get him, don't you know. His experiences on his site describe in detail.

The folks at Bullshido figured out his schtick a while back.

 

[revolverman357]

I like cool walking sticks.

 

[C_Kyle]

I dislike...

Who give's a sh!t what you dislike? GTFO of our thread and our forum.

The overwhelming majority of homeless people have mental or substance abuse issues that make them homeless, and that also make them a potential personal security threat.

Can you post a source for the % that equals "overwhelming majority"?

Don'g forget to f^ck off on the way out!

 

[Loosearrow]

Well I thought it was a great idea for a walking staff. Practical in every way. He pulled it off in a public place. If I ever see this man again, I will approch him and help remind him of our brief encounter. I'm sure he will remember. The wool jacket shirt seem to bring back memories for him from long ago. It is amazing how something simple trips the memories of the past. I wish him well. I wish you all well in the new year. Appreciate your friendships. Regards, Loosearrow

 

[Loosearrow]

Loosearrow, your welcome for the invite. Getting back to the title of your thread.

Having a hiking staff with some metal on the end is a neat Idea. I cut out a peace of metal one time and attached it to one of the staffs I have,
after seeing a video with Ron Hood's hiking staff.

You are so right ( well I think lol) about your knife being a Tool and Security
and a Friend. Having a knife sure can make your survival easyer.

It Sure would have been neat if you could have talked some more with that fellow and found out more about how he does things and what gear he carries.
In the back of our minds ( well maybe for some of us) there is a thought what and how would I do, if for some reason I lost my job and then my house. Car breaks down no money to get it fixed. no job to get it fixed or pay the bills, Things in life can go from bad to worse in such quick time frame.

You know I think it is great to practice survival, bushcraft, camping skills what ever you want to call it. I think if for some reason I was to become a homeless person I might fair better than some who have not practiced them skills. I know sleeping out in the woods all by myself with a shelter I made is a lot more comforting to me than the thought of staying a shlelter / mission with others that I do not know. I have heard some nasty stories from one of my nephews who had to stay at a shelter for a while when he lost the place he was staying at. At one point he left that shelter to go sleep in some woods that he new of and camped and then went back to that shelter for meals. Heck I do not like staying in town over night at familys houses we go to visit on the holidays lol.

Also I wish you could have gotten a pic of him too so we could see what he looked like and what gear he had looked like too.

Maybe you will see him again who knows. It is amazing what just a few kinds words can do for others. Maybe you might get more info from him to.

Again thanks for sharing your story about the homeless man's hiking staff.

Bryan

Thanks Bryan. Your friendship and invites most welcome.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

This thread was borderline for Wilderness & Survival Skills from the start, but the trolling that broke in on it makes it inappropriate for any forum I can think of. I don't like moving a thread that's already in trouble, so I am closing it.

Don't be surprised if some of you come out of this with infractions. There is no excuse for personal insults in open discussion forums. They are especially inapprpriate in this one.