The Industry of the Disavowed.

Today, while taking my partner to school, a man was digging through a municipal garbage can. He was transferring recyclables -- carelessly tossed out by his fellow citizens -- from the municipal can to his own can. He does this all year, despite the weather and despite the jeers from those around him.

This should give pause to those who believe homelessness results from the individual actions of the homeless. This man understands economics. This man is willing to labor, for the benefit of society nonetheless, to earn money. Though on the fringe, this man does what we all do: get up, go to work, earn some money, buy things we need and want. He is no different from me, or from you. The choices that have made his life may so easily reflect upon me, or you. What he suffers, we all suffer, and for that we must stop blaming these victims and start addressing our collective issues.

K and R :kick:

loaded with aluminum cans all the time. If I have any cans ready to be recycled, I call out and give them to him.

No, I don't give a shit what he's going to do with the money. That's his choice.

The poor guy has an odd affect and I think he's probably mentally ill, doing the best he can. He will take cans from me but not food.

If there is money to be made, people who have no better alternatives will fill the need by taking that job. America is awash in consumer goods, and there is good money to be made on its castoffs. After wandering through segundas (second hand stores) south of the border, I came to the realization that most of what America leaves at the curb to be carted off ends up being used a second or a third time in Mexico. The owners of these stores make regular trips across the border to load up on what America has no more use for and they return to resell it, earning themselves a middle class lifestyle.

Although I've not been to North Korea, I've heard that it is one of the cleanest countries around. No, not because of some Communist style worker brigade cleaning the country up, but because people are so poor that every little scrap that would ordinarily get discarded in a richer country is reused in some way.

This is one example of being a very good citizen! I hope he is recognized as such.

I very much appreciate your insight with this post-- it is an excellent point, and needs to be repeated often until we ALL start thinking in this way.

I would like to pick a nit....
"The choices that have made his life ...."

this is one of the myths that have become very common.... EVERYONE makes mistakes, and EVERYONE has made some bad choices.

We need to stop using this sort of phrase, as it contributes to the whole blaming the victim thing.

Thank you again!

:hi:

I do mean to include both the positive and negative. In the moment we make the choice, rarely do we know its charge (to borrow a physics term). I also do not mean to promulgate the myth of "their choices" made them homeless -- indeed, it is a complicated fabric of status quo, choice, and chance. Nonetheless, point taken: I should consider my words and choose them better.

There is so much prejudice that keeps poor people down, and we need to be aware of them, and avoid them.

Thank you for understanding.

:hi:

Originally, I said this:
"The choices that have made his life may so easily reflect upon me, or you."

To which bobbolink rightly responded:
"We need to stop using this sort of phrase, as it contributes to the whole blaming the victim thing."

And, after reflection, I think a more appropriate phrasing would be simply:
"His situations may so easily reflect upon me, or you."

:applause:

And also reflects that we're all in this together.

There IS NO "us and them".

thank you... :yourock:

What a reasonable and thoughtful discussion between you two, pv and bobbolink! Rare to be seen, from difference was created unity. Great thread to boot, I missed recommending it by a couple hours, sorry about that. Thanks!

rather than getting a denial or silence or a brushoff, it was taken seriously, and dealt with very peacefully.

What a concept, eh?

Both of you... :yourock:

with your sensitivity and insight.

Thank you for valuing and noticing this person. We are all connected.

:hug: