What was your most blatant "I've got money" comment...

Dave, I don't think he meant it that way at all.

 

"and the bum? Still walking with his shopping cart. Enough said."

I hope I'm wrong. 90% of the homeless people in the US are suffering from mental disorders that in a kinder gentler time would have been dealt with in a group home or mental institution. Now they're on the street. I don't know anyone living on the street who would rather be there than in a home, or, God forbid, in a Porsche.

Just struck me as totally ignorant.

D

 

I dunno about that. From what I have read, most of the mentally ill ( yes, that should be in institutions and were until our progressive friends got rid of those archaic institutions) are very resistant to going into any structured environment, whether a group home or even a house or apartment. IIRC, it as been tried and many prefer to be on the street.

 

+1 from first hand knowledge dealing with homeless individuals.

 

Last summer one of my tenants, a local bank, moved out of my property into a new location in the downtown area.

They had no use for the old safe, and after cleaning out the site, came down with a moving company and a flat bed tow truck to remove the safe. Picture a safe about the size of a really big refridgerator.

The bank's facilities director made one last pitch to me if I wanted the safe left behind. He said "give it to your father for all his money", to which I replied without missing a beat "sorry, not big enough".

He paused for a second, and we both had a good chuckle.

 

OK, we're way off topic now, but, here goes:

Mentally ill and untreated/medicated is not who you ask.

Mentally ill, treated, medicated and housed is who you ask.

So, re-pose your questions, not to the mentally ill homeless, who can't give a solid rational answer, to a healthier treated person, and see what you get.

Talk to two schizophrenics, one on the street, and one who is warm and treated, I seriously doubt you'll get the same answers on ANY question.

D

 

Good point

 

It's a far more complex issue than simply being healthy or not. People still do not have a complete explanation for this phenomenon. The most plausible one, to me, is that nobody likes being controlled or institutionalized or having their freedom curtailed. Give a person freedom, and they will happily accept help. Restrict their movements and freedom, and they will often forego the aid, whether their mental faculties are intact or not.

I did have the same reaction as dm_n_stuff when I read this:

So I read it again, and I think UroTrash is right. Poster meant to say he could have been doing a lot worse, and now he is doing a lot better, and is thankful for his lot.