Comment by cubano | Hacker News Reader

Comment by cubano | Hacker News Reader

I've been on so many sides of this issue it really almost sounds like bullshit.

You see, I was addicted to heroin, and basically homeless, for three years living in Vegas after my mom passed and I divorced.

My beautiful co-junkie girlfriend ODed and died, literally in my arms, in a room at the MGM Grand the first time she ever shot up. I thought she was doing meth like she always did. She was such an amazing soul and I still cry when I think of her and that horrible night.

I allowed a bunch of homeless "friends" to stay with me as I was blowing through my money. I fed them all the time; gave them money for dope sometimes.

Several of them ended up robbing me for money, clothes, computers etc etc. I ended up in the Tunnels for about 6 months before I could finally get out of town.

I finally kicked cold-turkey on the floor of a county jail medical cell back here in Florida as I had missed court dates and had warrants. This was 5 years ago and I have worked hard to pull my life back together.

Before this, my 5yo daughter was physically grabbed by a homeless person in the streets of downtown Chicago, off Michigan Ave., and to this day she still talks of the fear she felt that day.

Who knows what could have happened if I wasn't 6'3" and prison-hardened from the 22 months I did for selling MDMA in 2001?

So I feel I see all sides of this situation from real experience. It's hard writing this because I try not to remember all that garbage and pain.

I think this guy has the right to express himself and his fears without being knee-jerk dogpiled by the offense mobs, but that's just me.

[edits]

Well said. I'd add that being able to see all sides of the equation allows us to consider the problem in a deeper way and form meaningful solutions that can help everyone - the homeless, desperate and drug dependent as well as the people merely seeking a safer environment for themselves and their loved ones. Being outraged by someones reaction robs us of energy that would be better spent considering the underlying problem.

Contemplate those who abuse their children, spouses or others were often abused themselves. It's natural to want those elements removed from society and I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking that way, however the nuanced view is to consider the problem like a virus spreading. How do you contain it, how do you prevent it, how do you treat it, what is innate in people that makes them susceptible to spreading this social calamity? You can ask the big questions, or dig a big pit and throw the problem in there - hoping it won't come back to haunt you.

With that said: where the life or well-being of a single person isn't worth much, in subtle ways everybody suffers. You aren't truly rich if you're dodging the hungry and homeless in your luxury car, or walled up from the desperate and deranged.

Keep it up, man. Does it get easier? I look at what I need to do to fix my broken mind and sometimes I think I'd rather lie down in the snow than keep climbing. Do you ever get to stop climbing?

As someone who has dealt with addiction, I would say it’s similar to exercise. It doesn’t exactly get easier, but you do get stronger—that is, better practiced at dealing with cravings, coping with stress, managing your mental health, and so on.

You’re never really out of the woods, but you get better at finding your way out and choosing not to venture too deep.

>sometimes I think I'd rather lie down in the snow

I said something similar only a couple days ago. Then I realized, that's not what I want; what I want is for the pain and hurt to stop. What a long coming revelation that was.

It takes time. Like what @evincarofautumn said, you get stronger. Never forget where you come from. Efforts count. Collect some useful tools. You might try http://www.7cupsof tea.com

I give you credit, it's a tough road there and back.

I feel for you. You went through things, and survived, AND bettered yourself, where many others gave up or simply died themselves.

However i'd like to point out that such articles come about, even if it's not expressed directly, less because the homeless are victims. It is because an entire people, homeless as well as citizens are the victims here. The following is harsh, but there is no other way to put it without compromising the reality: The victims here are the homeless people for being abandoned by their government, as well as the average citizen for being abandoned along with the homeless. There is no reason that homeless people should have to fend for their live on the street, with little to no hope of reintegration; nor that average citizens should have to live in a city where their safety is endangered because homeless people do not receive adequate reintegration efforts.

There are known and proven ways to handle this problem, while simultaneously improving the lives of every single citizen, homeless and not homeless. Look to Europe.

And until the american governments can agree to implement these, homeless will have no choice but to do and take what they can get, average citizen will need to be very aware of their safety, and news outlets will write confused articles like this.

> knee-jerk dogpiled by the offense mobs

... why is he free to express himself, but people who disapprove of him aren't? It's not like they're setting fire to his house or stealing his dog. He can say what he likes, other people can say what they like.

Yeah but see you have something called empathy, which this guy clearly does not have. If he didn't want to see homeless people because it upset him that we weren't helping them, and he was doing everything in his power before complaining to the mayor - then he'd have a good case. Instead he's making the homeless sound subhuman, which is no argument I can stand behind.

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