Chrissy, just sort of listening in the discussion on homeless and why people are on the street. I don't agree with Michael's assessment that most street people are illiterate. Maybe to some extend, that is a factor.
In Canada, with the current health care crisis, hospitals are closing, especially those that care for the mentally ill. Or they are released too early and fall through the safety net of the system. Thus, ends up living on the street where they are completely vulnerable.
Also, another contributing factor are the Indians. Especially, in my area of the country you see them on the street. They leave the reservations, completely unprepared for life on the outside, they become entangled in a life of alcohol and gambling. It is so pathetic to see them collecting empty bottles for a few dollars to buy cheap wine at the liquor store. The natives in this country pay no income tax, they receive treaty money from the government every month, but what is missing from their lives, is a sense of accomplishment, of self-worth, there must be a better way to deal with the situation. They have lost their way in the white man's world. Handouts do not build character or self-worth...
I saw a documentary a few months ago where a homeless man was interviewed in Toronto, one of Canada's largest cities. This man, at one time, used to be a advertising excutive for a large well-known company. Due to alcoholism, he lost everything, his home,his family, his job, his security and became what is known as homeless.
I suspect we live in a world where we are all only a misstep away from the street.
Carol
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