Victim Of Circumstance
Scroll Down For More Content
VICTIMS OF CIRCUMSTANCE…
Here are some interesting reveals of some of the most brilliant minds who are experiencing house insecurity and are living on the street. Many of these individuals possess a genius level intellect, some scholars, proficient in speaking multiple languages, great engineering skills, doctors, lawyers, scientists, biologists, excellent knowledge of applied physics and have attained the highest level of academic and professional achievements. Just ordinary people just like you living their daily lives, then out of nowhere experienced a major defeat, now a victim of circumstance beyond their control. In knowing such facts helps to minimize the stigma of the face of housing insecurity and severe poverty.
Poverty and house insecurity are equal opportunists together creating a devastating toll leaving emotionally shattered lives spiraling aimlessly out of control. Take a closer look into the life of the ‘residentially disadvantaged.’ There are different physical and psychological levels of being unhoused with fluctuations of mental, spiritual and physical adjustments to an unpredictable life on the street.
There are people of various religious denominations of faith who also live a life of unfortunate circumstances that possess a compassionate insight perspective, exhibiting great love, kindness and inspiration of hope to others who are suffering the same fate. True examples of the definition of the term ‘diamonds in the rough’ living and leading by a positive light and example even though they suffer too.
Unhoused individuals survive the best way they can some live in their vehicles, in tents, in tunnels, some couch surf, then there are those who live in and out cheap motels whenever they can afford to do so. Having these certain minimal advantages allows them an opportunity to have access to bathroom facilities, laundromats and other modest amenities whereas many other unhoused individuals are not afforded the same to maintain a level of acceptable hygiene and attire.
Due to various situations and circumstances, the bitter, harsh realities of life extremes, physical appearances may differ vastly depending on the degree of means and accessibility where many on the street become harden and street weathered. Some unhoused individuals are employed and have one or more jobs. Unfortunately, their income doesn’t stretch as far due to the demands of skyrocketing cost of living, receiving minimum wage or less, physical and mental disabilities, unreasonable rent increases, dramatic economic downturn, pandemics, strikes and not to mention job loss and so much more. Their ongoing expenses no longer able to be met. With fixed income and no regular increases in funds, they are challenged with continued rising debt. They fall through the cracks into socioeconomic decline with no viable safety net. Statistical data states many ‘housed’ individuals are about one to two paychecks away from experiencing the same predicament.
For some, this reality may sound and feel very close to home in your own lives. Without any other alternatives, many have to resort to life on the street, being subjected to economical, physical and psychological threats. There’s a thousand moving parts to poverty and being unhoused like pawns of a chessboard strategy, wrong moves end in deceit, betrayal, murder, suicide or death, victim of street life brutality. Caught up in the crosshairs of a crossfire fatality true crime drama. The lingering effects of pain and mental anguish continue to intensify physical and emotional trauma.
Let’s not forget about the veterans, some who suffer the same circumstances, another sector of the unhoused epidemic. These war heroes who fought for our freedom, do they deserve to be homeless, jobless and poor when their boots touch down on familiar ground after defending our freedom on foreign soil? Why is there not enough support for our troops? Why are they jumping over hurdles and proverbial hoops, cutting through bureaucratic red tape for access to entitled benefits, including physical and mental treatments? Why do they have to be burdened with unreasonable wait times and long delays while governing policies stand in the way? Many still suffering for decades from the effects of PTSD, LOSS OF LIMBS, AND OTHER WAR RELATED INJURIES.
It’s a tragedy only to come back home to fight yet another war, begging for handouts alongside the poor. More casualties added to the body count of the unhoused epidemic spreading around the globe. They’re our veterans that simply deserve more! Why is there always support and financial resources available when needed for war but none available to feed and support the poor? Money to take life, but none to sustain life. The outcome remains the same when left unchecked there are significant economic and social ramifications when a large portion of the population is affected.
Living in abject poverty and being unhoused is not just your neighborhood variety, it touches every part of humanity. It’s up close and personal, they dwell in society you would have to be heart blind not to see. To further victimize and criminalize the unhoused is more than an outrage, such an egregious act. Since when is it a crime to be HUMAN? It’s only one step away when labeled ‘unhoused’ from basically having your categorization as ‘human being’ revoked. A real evil, apathy, suffering and a spiritual congestion is occurring in our society. The staggering effects of housing insecurities and poverty of this magnitude is that of astronomical and global proportions and even one human suffering is one too many!
The sad reality and the totality of the widespread poverty and unhoused inhumane living conditions has woven its way into the very thread of the human fabric, the cornerstone of society, its devastation reverberates throughout nations around the world. Generations chained to a degrading caste system of life on the street, segregating and classifying the poor, unhoused and weak. When you dehumanize the group you have systematically dehumanized every individual in it. If you think devastating poverty and suffering happens only abroad, think again… Ubiquity of poverty is universal. Billions invested, still no resolve, conditions continue to worsen leaving the final outcome of containment uncertain. While the unhoused and poverty epidemic is not a new phenomenon, it should by no means be a natural part of the landscape. There needs to be a paradigm shift in how poverty, the needy and the unhoused are perceived.
We all exist in a shared reality of this thing called life, let’s always strive to have a caring, compassionate mentality for all. Anyone can experience unforeseen circumstances in life and fall. The poor should be treated fairly and mercifully. The powerless and poverty-stricken are at times looked upon as lazy, incompetent, alcohol and drug abusers when they may be victims of loss, oppression, depression and circumstance, things are not always what they appear to be at first glance. Their story is incomplete, there’s more than meets the eye. We must free ourselves of mental shackles, divisive conclusions and distorted views and allow ourselves to see reality in its true representation. It’s easy to misjudge someone or something. Sometimes we don’t always understand what goes on below the surface. Adverse circumstances does not define a person, appearances can be deceiving.
If possible, we should provide humane interventions to help those in need, at least walk alongside them in support and encouragement. It may not be necessary to rise up to chastise and preach just open the eyes of each. We should extend a helping hand to those within our reach. “Do to others what you should have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12 NIV) You never know what the future holds, you may need help someday too. The less informed and more judgemental will still hold onto a “I don’t care, it’s not me” mentality until God forbid you become a member of the unhoused street life society, another statistic, an unfortunate tragedy. -ArkCha’GivingHope.Org