Re: Bad reporting Hazards to Homeless article

On Sat, 13 Apr 2024 23:20:47 -0700
The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:

On Sat, 13 Apr 2024 16:22:48 -0400, Rhino
<no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
 

If the homeless were allowed agency, there would inevitably be
pressure to hold them accountable for their actions. That would
undermine the "progressive" Saviours who are going to fix everything
with vast new and expensive - and almost certainly futile - programs
to help the poor darlings. It's far better to just declare them all
to be helpless captives of their addictions and mental health so
that "help" can be applied in whatever fashion the government and
their agents in the civil service deem necessary. Many many billions
of tax dollars can then be wasted on schemes that won't solve the
problem but WILL enrich the agencies that run the schemes.
 

You're suggesting forcible confinement in mental health facilities

Actually, no, I was not even *thinking* of doing that. I'm not sure
which words gave that impression. Time and time again, I've heard the
opinion expressed by experts (or those paraphrasing experts) that you
can't force people to get clean. Rehab only works if the addict WANTS
to get clean and even then it is far from a certainty that it will
work. If that is true - and I'd certainly like to know if there are
indications to the contrary - forcing people into rehab doesn't seem
like a plausible solution.

though you'd have a devil of a time convincing a judge that the
outdoor camping homeless were mentally ill even when they refused free
indoor accomodation. (Though I remain highly dubious about judges that
allow campouts in public parts particularly when used needles and
weapons are found there)

I don't know what good solutions exist or even if there ARE any good
solutions. The documentary I saw on safe supply which showed it caused
many negative consequences, especially making increasingly younger
children junkies, made me strongly oppose that approach. I resent like
hell seeing public money being spent on people who contribute nothing
to society and who use the money we give them to get and stay high
while everyone else works their asses off to let them live that
lifestyle. This profoundly undermines society as a whole by giving too
many people the idea that it is just fine to get high all the time at
public expense.

We need to rediscover human agency in this whole situation and agree
that if people choose to buy drugs and get high instead of working,
THEY MADE THAT CHOICE and need to pay the consequences.

--
Rhino