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by itake 1974 days ago
> Have you actually talked to them?

yes. Everyone has their own story. Checkout these interviews on Youtube:

LA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6ZFzEW7_Q4 Seattle - https://youtu.be/bpAi70WWBlw?t=877

The homeless I talked with in Boulder romanticize camping forever along the creeks and being free from society, while trying to leach off of public services.

> Do you know why they prefer their lifestyle?

Drug addiction, mental health, and in some cases lack of family support.

> that drug addiction is a lifestyle choice

Drug addiction is a choice. Based on my very limited personal experiences, you gotta commit to making a change (see above videos). Many addicts just aren't ready to leave their vices for a better life. No amount of rehab will help someone if they aren't ready to commit to a change.

> society failed them.

Sorry if this sounds conservative, but trying to blame other people for your problems doesn't really get you any where. Society throws problems at everyone, some more than others. Laying around complaining or rejecting it doesn't improve anyone's situation.

People need to apply critical thinking skills and tackle their own issues (hence the need for an addict needing to commit to the idea of solving the problem of their addiction).

Ex-homeless/addicts getting together to correct "society failed" them problems via AA meetings is an excellent example of people that apply critical thinking skills and try to help.

1 comments

> Sorry if this sounds conservative, but trying to blame other people for your problems doesn't really get you any where.

The person you are responding to is not homeless and is not talking about own problems at all. Much less blaming own homeless problem on somebody else.

Instead, he is someone who is trying to talk about strategies people like him, non homeless people, can push for so that other peoples chance to become homeless is smaller.

Basically, compete opposite of your accusation.