So my USA

[Chester01]

This is a problem aids long and very complicated. During the 1960s as the United States started to empty our psychiatric hospitals in the name of least restrictive environments (and cost saving), but there was never an infrastructure to support the folks being discharged. That was left to the private sector and mental health has never been particularly lucrative. The end result is these folks end up in jail, homeless, or in and out of psychiatric care (but due to pressure and cost) these folks are out in a day or so, with little follow up care.

Substance use and addiction are a gray area. If someone uses drugs, they cannot be hospitalized/treated against their will (as with acutely suicidal folks) and the nature of addiction is that many folks tend to resist treatment due to desire for the drug.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by donas

It's hard to comment on that video without turning this thread into something that would be closed. Yes, it's real...and sad. The really bad/sad part is the amount of effort it would take to try and get most of those people out of that situation. Between the addiction and just all around comfort in their situation, it would be a real fight to get them out of it.

When I was in LE, my department established a program to help a group of individuals as a pilot program. It was a big deal at the time, on 20/20 and various other shows. Long story short, out of the 25 or so people, not a single one was willing to follow through and maintain a job and crime free life. This was with virtually everything provided to them: counseling, transportation, a place to live, jobs, etc. Every single one of them gave it up to go back to the street.

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

All I’ll say is I’m not surprised

OK, so I have decided to say more. I have a (very) little experience with situations like this, and here is my opinion. Being homeless and/or addicted to substances can happen to anyone. You could have the greatest parents, the best education, support etc. It can still happen. I have known a couple ex-military that ended up this way. It was not due to their laziness, or desire to be anti-society, Sh1* happens. The big difference, as Donas pointed out, was they WANTED to get help and out of this situation, and eventually, they did. For these type of people, that have just hit a low-point and want to get themselves back on their feet (use whatever term you desire) I say we as a society should give them every opportunity. I don’t mind my tax dollars paying to give someone a second chance. What angers me, is some groups of people, we will leave it at that, complain incessantly we are not doing enough to help these people. Well, here is fact: All the money and aid and counseling in the world will not make any difference unless people WANT to get out of this lifestyle. As Donas pointed out, the real issue is the majority, for whatever reason, go back to it. Why is that? I honestly don’t have an answer. You can lead a horse to water….

[Ollie1982]

Interesting thread, thought provoking and incredibly sad stuff.

I’m from the UK and we don’t seem have to have as much of the extreme wealth associated with some American cities, but we also don’t seem to have as many neighbourhoods that are left to descend into Third World War zones, ravaged by poverty and drug misuse. Don’t get me wrong, these places exist in the UK, but the scale of the problem seems to be slightly narrower.

When will we realise the ‘war on drugs’ has been a catastrophic failure and find another way to handle this problem? Take the multiple billions spent on this ‘war’ and decriminalise drug use, provide an infrastructure for addicts to use drugs in a safe environment and couple this with a programme to help these people get back on their feet, with education and a way to earn an honest living. Not just throw them in jail which just seems to land them even deeper into a system and a spiral in which they can never escape.


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[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by Ollie1982

Interesting thread, thought provoking and incredibly sad stuff.

I’m from the UK and we don’t seem have to have as much of the extreme wealth associated with some American cities, but we also don’t seem to have as many neighbourhoods that are left to descend into Third World War zones, ravaged by poverty and drug misuse. Don’t get me wrong, these places exist in the UK, but the scale of the problem seems to be slightly narrower.

When will we realise the ‘war on drugs’ has been a catastrophic failure and find another way to handle this problem? Take the multiple billions spent on this ‘war’ and decriminalise drug use, provide an infrastructure for addicts to use drugs in a safe environment and couple this with a programme to help these people get back on their feet, with education and a way to earn an honest living. Not just throw them in jail which just seems to land them even deeper into a system and a spiral in which they can never escape.


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I still find it mind boggling that jails are full of drug dealers/users when the leaders across the world admit to taking such substance. What is the saying get rid of alcohol and you won’t have domestic violence, get rid of drugs and you won’t have crime……anyway something like that..

[DLRIDES]

) Decades of increasing fatherless children

) Will only get worse



Permanent social programs that finance and enable poor life choices usually keep the “intentions matter more than results” crowd in control.

[pickettt]

Originally Posted by DLRIDES

) Decades of increasing fatherless children

) Will only get worse



Permanent social programs that finance and enable poor life choices usually keep the “intentions matter more than results” crowd in control.

.....by design.

[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by pickettt

.....by design.

to read that ten times with the prospect of grasping the depth, I do now.

[zengineer]

There goes the neighborhood...

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[Duey]

If you want to see the other layer of this just look at parts Chicago. The media doesn't want this to be seen, but it's coming out when the numbers get to big to ignore.

This is crazy stuff -

Just google Heyjackass

[airchitect]

I used to drive through these areas in Baltimore for work a lot… these areas are terrible but not quite third world. At least if they wanted they could get healthcare, food, or maybe even a job….. But i digress. When I see this I see people’s babies. I see someone that used to be little just like mine. And the majority of the time, they were in situations they were probably never going to be able to climb out of from day one. Compound that with all of the politics, corps, etc etc, and it’s an insane mess…. But one that’s as old as anything else.


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