Okay, I give up. As my final post on this incredibly pointless board, I'll give you a quote which I find to be very relevant to the situation here:

"Do not try to argue with an idiot for he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience."

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and nothing you say will change my mind so why don't we stop insulting each other and go our separate ways?

I haven't seen any insults thrown around on this board.

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I volunteered for two years in a homeless shelter for families with children. 20 hours a week.

I can't imagine. YOU, helping in a homeless center? But I thought all the homelss were "bums" who deserved to be spit on.

It's a wonderful thing that you volunteered your time. Places like these need money to run. One source being, donations...

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So you'll bring bums to your house when your'e older? I guess being fifteen is the only thing stoping you.

I don't know what decisions I will make when I'm an adult, and living on my own.

A bunch of different churches work at the "cafe" I was talking about. There are dedicated Christians who go ever single week to feed the hungry. They have commitment, as well. I don't. I've never claimed to be the best at giving my time to help this cause. I give my time when it's available.

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Look, FML. Not all of us want to spend 20 hours a week for two years working in a homeless shelter.

Than you can't act as though you all love them and I am a bad guy for being disgusted by most of them.

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Every once and a while a church group would come serve breakfast to the people in the shelter. They felt so good that they were helping the "needy". They would leave after an hour and go to the mall or whatever those kids do on a saturday. I stayed all day working at the front desk and got cussed out multiple times along with the staff. Which do you think takes a bigger commitment?

Look, FML. Not all of us want to spend 20 hours a week for two years working in a homeless shelter. We have jobs and school and lives. I'm not dissing you for doing it, but an hour every once in a while is all some people can manage. Therefore, taking a homeless person out to eat or something simple and quick like that is the next best thing. Sure, I'd love to help out a bum and get him a job, but the simple fact of the matter is that I can't. Now, nothing I say will change your stance on the whole thing, and nothing you say will change my mind so why don't we stop insulting each other and go our separate ways?

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1. McDonalds doesn't require training.
2. McDonalds doesn't require a college degree.
3. Fate? It is hard. Thats what makes it honorable to make it.
The harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph. -Thomas Paine
4. Most soup kitchens run by catholic charities allow their mailing address to be used and have voicemail accounts for homeless people seeking jobs.

Even McDonalds likes it if you've had SOME sort of expirience, although I see what you're saying. It's just, McDonalds isn't EXACTLY the place people won't to usually work at. It's because of all the "patty-flipping" jokes, people are ashamed if they work there (generally speaking).

Also, that's wonderful that Soup Kitchens will let some people use the address, but that doesn't mean everyone does.

Basically, what I am trying to say, is that a job is harder to get than just going up to the cash register and stating "I need a job." Chances are, even MCDONALDS isn't going to want to hire many homeless people, although I could be wrong. But, you make very valid points.

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1. You have to have some sort of training.
2. You have to have AT LEAST graduated from high school and probably college too, but if you are out on the streets/poor, chances are, you will not be able to afford college.
3. You have to be HIRED after all of this, and sometimes, fate draws you up short.
4. You need a home and a phone.

1. McDonalds doesn't require training.
2. McDonalds doesn't require a college degree.
3. Fate? It is hard. Thats what makes it honorable to make it.
The harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph. -Thomas Paine
4. Most soup kitchens run by catholic charities allow their mailing address to be used and have voicemail accounts for homeless people seeking jobs.

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There is a difference between someone who stays a few nights in a shelter untill they get back on their feet and a bum who lives from shelter to shelter bumming for cash in on every overpass in every town they land in when they hop off the boxcar.

I'm so sorry. You don't seem to realize (being in your lucky position) how hard it is to GET a job.

1. You have to have some sort of training.
2. You have to have AT LEAST graduated from high school and probably college too, but if you are out on the streets/poor, chances are, you will not be able to afford college.
3. You have to be HIRED after all of this, and sometimes, fate draws you up short.
4. You need a home and a phone.

You say that staying at a shelter for a few nights will aquire all of these necessities and a job will suddenly fall in your lap. It's not that easy; people may be racist and not hire you or just feel someone else is better for the job. After graduating high school, college, ect..you still need a certain amount of money so that when (not if, WHEN) you DO get turned down, you have enough to live off of for a few more days until your next jod offer/interview.

Getting a jod is harder than just sleeping under a roof for two days. Plus, some people after living this way for long enough, may just be too depressed to trudge along for the nessacary amount of time that it takes to get a job.

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Please explain to me how he would have gotten the 450 dollars necessary to train for the job,

They would have taken it out of his paychecks over six weeks, he could have done it but I made it easier.

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He wouldn't have even known about the job if it wasn't for you..I highly doubt he would have gotten it without you.

Thats because he asked for help. He didn't ask for money. Even as "heartless" as I sound; I can't turn away someone who specifically asks for help.
The only thing I did was show him where to get an application. He filled it out, turned it in and was hired withoout any guidance from me.

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I'm fifteen. Need I say more?
I donate to Goodwill, and I volunteer at a soup kitchen through my church.

So you'll bring bums to your house when your'e older? I guess being fifteen is the only thing stoping you.
I've never met anyone who doesn't give to goodwill. Giving your old junk to someone doesn't count.
I volunteered for two years in a homeless shelter for families with children. 20 hours a week. I was cussed out ten times a day just like everyone who worked there. Every once and a while a church group would come serve breakfast to the people in the shelter. They felt so good that they were helping the "needy". They would leave after an hour and go to the mall or whatever those kids do on a saturday. I stayed all day working at the front desk and got cussed out multiple times along with the staff. Which do you think takes a bigger commitment?

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He got himself the job. I helped him once he had it. He would have made it whether I helped him or not, but I did make it a little easier for him.
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I showed him where he could get a job as a parking lot attendant
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That's when I took him to the hiring office for the parking garage.
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paid for his continued training and uniform out of my own pocket(450$), not much for me but it helped this man who got a job and was willing to help himself.

He got himself the job? YOU showed him the opening. You brought him there. You paid for his training. Please explain to me how he would have gotten the 450 dollars necessary to train for the job, if he hadn't had you. He wouldn't have even known about the job if it wasn't for you..I highly doubt he would have gotten it without you.

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How dare you tell me that it's my fault these homeless people don't have places to stay

Nowhere did I say it was your fault. I simply stated that it was as you wanted...no homeless shelters.

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If you think homeless people are so great, why don't you take a few home? Give them a nice place to stay.

I'm fifteen. Need I say more?

I donate to Goodwill, and I volunteer at a soup kitchen through my church.

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I saw this one bum wearing underwear outside his pants. I'm pretty sure he's gonna have some problems finding a job.

Maybe he could find work as Superman.lol.

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I don't understand how you cannot help a fellow human being laying broke dirty and sick on the streets?

>I pay tax dollars for shelters;
-That keeps them off the streets(if they are willing to even sober up and go)
>I pay tax dollars that fund municipal hospitals;
-That pays off the debt they accrue after treating homeless people that can't pay. That keeps them from being "broke" and "sick".

Being dirty is their own fault.

I saw this one bum wearing underwear outside his pants. I'm pretty sure he's gonna have some problems finding a job. I think McDonalds has an underwear inside the pants policy.

Yeah stupid bums all they do is just take peoples money and do nothing all day... Kinda reminds me of most kids and teens.

I don't understand how you cannot help a fellow human being laying broke dirty and sick on the streets? Why don't you just go around eating humans, its the same thing.

I make bums tell me stories then i'll give them money. Or I'll have them buy me alcohol. Once I gave a bum a beer.

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Not all of the homeless homeless men/woman who are ready to do whatever it takes to get off the streets find random rich-as-hell men who will throw 500 dollars out to clean them up and get them a job. It doesn't usually work that way.

He got himself the job. I helped him once he had it. He would have made it whether I helped him or not, but I did make it a little easier for him.

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However, sadly, battered women's shelters are sometimes full. A strong women, brave enough to leave her "jerk" would have nowhere to go, but a homeless shelter

It's most state laws that they house her. If a shelter is full and there is nowhere else the law requires them to put her up in a motel. This doesn't impose too greatly because most shelters are subsidized.

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How dare you want to leave her in a situation in which she has nowhere to go, and in which other non-alcoholic, non-druggie homeless men and women have nowhere to go.

By law she will have a place to stay, but since I already covered that; How dare you tell me that it's my fault these homeless people don't have places to stay, as if I were to blame for making them homeless. If you think homeless people are so great, why don't you take a few home? Give them a nice place to stay. If you really cared, thats what you would do.

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I'm sure you can more than afford self-defense classes that are much more civilized than the barbaric act of spitting on someone.

So if someone tried to pee on me; you would rather me hit the weakened bum than spit on him? Who's the one with messed up ideals? Spitting is symbolic of disgust, hitting actualy injures people. You are sick.

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Beer has hundreds of calories and thus fills you up. I suspect that for some hwo are starving, it feels better to have something, even if it is bad, in their stomachs than nothing.

If they were'nt drunk they would be allowed in the shelter and the soup kitchen. If you aren't even willing to help yourself enough to eat, you really don't deserve my energies.
There is a difference between someone who stays a few nights in a shelter untill they get back on their feet and a bum who lives from shelter to shelter bumming for cash in on every overpass in every town they land in when they hop off the boxcar.

By the way...

I agree with crazy on the spitting. It's disgusting and grotesque and wouldn't exactly stop anyone from stealing money.

Since you are so blessed, I'm sure you can more than afford self-defense classes that are much more civilized than the barbaric act of spitting on someone.

FreeMarketLover:

Although I whole heartedly agree with your view on ALCOHOLICS, I would like to point out what generally LEADS one to intoxication:

1. Family diseases. It runs in my family, so I have been told repeatedly that it will be harder for me than most (but, I don't drink, so no problem).
2. Hardships that they want to "get away from". It's like people and chocolate, or cake. It makes some people feel better. I odn't agree with it, but it's a reason.
3. Beer has hundreds of calories and thus fills you up. I suspect that for some hwo are starving, it feels better to have something, even if it is bad, in their stomachs than nothing.

So, my point is, that maybe this was a one time tihng. Not likely, Ik now, but give him the benifit of the doubt. Also, if he WERE in a shelter, he wouldn't need alcohol to feel better (I am guessing) because he would have a bed, food and a roof over his head.

These are assumptions, but I just thought you should consider the possibilities, BEFORE making such strong and harsh accusations. (But, as I said before, I completely agree on your view on alcoholism).

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Yes, they do. The ones who are willing to help themselves.

They have to work hard if they truly want to get back on their feet, and they need help from others. They can't simply help themselves. Not all of the homeless homeless men/woman who are ready to do whatever it takes to get off the streets find random rich-as-hell men who will throw 500 dollars out to clean them up and get them a job. It doesn't usually work that way.

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Battered womens shelters and homeless shelters aren't the same thing. Battered women aren't bums and you should be ashamed for comparing abused women to dirty rotten bums. It's hard enough for women to be brave, leave their jerk and enter a battered womens shelter without you making them feel bad by comparing them to bums.

However, sadly, battered women's shelters are sometimes full. A strong women, brave enough to leave her "jerk" would have nowhere to go, but a homeless shelter. If it were up to you, there would be no indoor place at all for her to sleep....because homeless shelters only help "bums", according to you. How dare you want to leave her in a situation in which she has nowhere to go, and in which other non-alcoholic, non-druggie homeless men and women have nowhere to go.

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These women are abused by there husbands or boyfriends. If they have no one else, where the hell do you expect them to go?

Battered womens shelters and homeless shelters aren't the same thing. Battered women aren't bums and you should be ashamed for comparing abused women to dirty rotten bums. It's hard enough for women to be brave, leave their jerk and enter a battered womens shelter without you making them feel bad by comparing them to bums.

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SOME deserve help.

Yes, they do. The ones who are willing to help themselves.

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Like it helped Packaderm? If by helps you mean creates than yes.

Battered women shelters. These women are abused by there husbands or boyfriends. If they have no one else, where the hell do you expect them to go? They help women abandoned by there husbands, who have nowhere to go with their children.

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Since Packaderms assaulter was intoxicated, he would not have been admited. He wasn't evem willing to do what it took to stay in a shelter(not be drunk).

He's one of the bad one's than. Not ALL of them are bad. Not ALL of them are like her attacker. SOME deserve help.