andeventhis:

panasonicyouth:

Mark Educates #2: Homelessness

[Image description: A screenshot from FB. Someone posts: “I believe that if you have half the brain in your head you should be able to make money. So I don’t really feel sorry for that “homeless” dude standing on the side of the freeway asking for money. Come on people- this is America. People flock here from different countries to find work and a better life. There should be no excuse for someone to bum it-None whatsoever.” I reply with: Mental illness, the lack of support for veterans after soldiers return from wars that rich white men create and profit from, the recent wave of vicious foreclosures, the constant erosion of work opportunities by a corporate environment that seeks to increase its bottom line through outsourcing, the ever-increasing decline in any sort of public assistance, the lack of affordable housing, lack of affordable health care, mental illness, domestic violence, sexual abuse, violent transphobia, homophobia, a culture and system of racism, addiction disorders and the public stigma that follows them, and the unbelievably complicated set of circumstances that might lead a person to have to choose between eating food, having a roof over their head, and meeting their basic needs as a human being. Oh, sorry, what’s that? You weren’t using half the brain in your head to figure this shit out? There really should be no excuse for that. None whatsoever. PS: I was homeless once in my life because I ran away from home to escape abuse. So I don’t tolerate this bullshit from anyone.]

Yes, I said mental illness twice.

Here’s an easy one: Don’t ever do this.

jfc

Dear everyone,

Mark is the fucking best.

Seconded.

I think people forget, too, that homelessness is often hard work. It’s a full time job to try and stay warm, fed, hydrated, and safe when you have absolutely no support system to fall back on. It’s probably harder work than your desk job, if you have one. Add to that mental illness or a serious drug addiction, extreme youth or old age, lack of job skills… society doesn’t give everyone the same opportunities, and even those who are homeless because of their own stupid or selfish decisions would be given a chance to redeem themselves in an ideal world.