I've decided to channel my thoughts into writing, as inexperienced and uncreative as i am. I've been taught it's a good way to vent frustrations, to let yourself known without giving too much away.
An online blog? An online journal? Contributing to the wonderful writing world of AG?
Call it what you will. it's not a thread to spark debate, to offend or upset, it's just a person expressing herself - That's the good thing about the internet, you can be who you want to be
But here, i'll be me.
Society.
I've noticed with every waking day that society has become more ignorant, more intolerant and more self absored. It begs me to wonder what ever happened to compassion and understanding.
Today, a busy but normal day started out fine, after my morning coffee of course. I made my way into town where i came across one of the homeless men i have been in connection with through a charity organization. He was doing no harm, sitting on a street corner with a cardboard cup in front of him, hoping for someone to throw their loose change in. He didn't even cry out to beg. I swear, the pittiful look in their eyes do it for me everytime. A police officer asked this man to move along, pointing out he was not welcomed on the high street, where clothes made in sweatshops are overpriced. The man, gathering his things was obviously not quick enough which resulted into the power-hungry cop attempting to pull him off the ground (Not realizing he was less than half his size), stumbling and letting the mans body smash to the ground. A police officer, a man of authority, in the wrong? Surely not. Of course he shouted at the helpless guy to get off his butt and get moving before storming away.
Yet again, the pitiful eyes, the lost soul trapped inside, the hopelessness swamped me. I took the man, along with his belongings of a dirty, over-used, and quite smelly blanket to get a coffee and a sandwich. As someone i encounter often, he knows i won't fuel his alcohol addiction - what help would i be then? I got him fed and cleaned up before phoning the shelter to have a bed ready for him. The sun was trying to break through the clouds but didn't have the strength, so we walked through the humid overcast streets of my city talking about his better times. It was nice to see the spark back in his eyes and the spring in his step as we walked side by side laughing, ignoring the comments passer-bys felt obligated to make.
As we neared the shelter, we ran into our number one person of the day, the police officer. Here we are, two people walking along the streets, and this animal in a uniform who has hit defense mode is in our personal space screaming "I thought i told you to move it." Well i felt it my duty to tell the uneducated parasite that we had obviously "moved it" considering we were five streets away from our first encounter. Somehow this remark landed the man i was with in trouble and he was warned with arrest. Me being the feisty piece of work i am questioned this to be responded with "Shut it, kid." This guy, maybe two years older than me, fresh in a uniform and clearly in need of an attitude adjustment calling me kid?
I bit my tongue and moved my homeless buddy along to the shelter, telling him not to worry about "eople like that", but the spark was long gone from his eyes, the brief happiness he had experienced had left his soul and was lost to society.
Society: The aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community.
I don't think it's really possible to be both ignorant and intolerant towards any one thing; not sharing your values or beliefs does not make someone ignorant. Also, cops can hardly be said to embody mainstream society. He was probably just trying to keep the guy from permanently settling on public land.
I've noticed with every waking day that society has become more ignorant, more intolerant and more self absored. It begs me to wonder what ever happened to compassion and understanding
If this ^ is what you're referring to:
My first statement wasn't directed at the cop, it was directed at humanity.
Maybe the cop was trying to keep it looking nice for tourists? If so, he was doing it completely the wrong way. If that's even what he was doing, considering how mean and snobby some people can truely be.
I still think my point about ignorance stands. I'm convinced that most people are aware of the existence of homeless people, but many people are capitalists to some extent or another. At least for myself, I'd say that nobody's obligated to help someone else out of a problem created either by them or by bad parents, and unless cops are specifically trained to remove the homeless, I wouldn't call society intolerant of them either.
Ohbombuh makes a legitimate point. More important, he makes a point you failed to address in response to him. He questioned your statement about all humanity. It not being about the cop makes no difference.
I'd say that nobody's obligated to help someone else out of a problem created either by them or by bad parents,
I think you're free to not help. I also think you should help. Regardless, the problem is unlikely caused by either the homeless or bad parents. The class system in the modern world does not encourage upward mobility. The higher classes are given tools to succeed from a young age, from better education to better healthcare to money. The poor aren't poor because of their misdeeds. It's a flaw in the system.
So are you looking for people to critique your prose, or critique your ideas? I'd be happy to do either.
nobody's obligated to help someone else out of a problem created either by them or by bad parents, and unless cops are specifically trained to remove the homeless, I wouldn't call society intolerant of them either.
No one is obligated, but he shouldn't have been man handled because he was homeless, he's still a human, and still has rights.
it's not a thread to spark debate, to offend or upset
So are you looking for people to critique your prose, or critique your ideas? I'd be happy to do either.
You may do whichever, i'm just writing my "thoughts for the day."
The class system in the modern world does not encourage upward mobility.
There are two things I'd like to challenge here. My computer can't display your country's flag for some reason, but chances are class divisions are pretty arbitrary there (correct me if you're in one of those countries where people still bow to the rich). At what point is someone, for example, "rich?" There are people with all different kinds of incomes, and putting it at a dollar (or an equivalent currency) amount means that just 2 cents (or a similar denomination of currency) could change one's class. Of course, there are *richer* and *poorer* people from every perspective, but all lines between an objective "rich" and "oor" are quite artificial.
My second assertion is that even if mobility isn't encouraged, it's highly possible depending on basic, repeated choices. For example, my great-grandparents were farmers, my grandparents were a nurse and an iron factory worker, and my father is a doctor. He didn't get there just by wanting it and getting encouragement from the system, but he was still completely able to do it, even having the extra time to start up a family while he was studying in medical school. As a contrast, I regularly see people at the grocery store I work in using state-funded programs (especially WIC, designed to help nourish women, infants, and children) to lower their grocery bills enough to afford various kinds of liquor rather than investing in, say, education and healthcare. Now, I acknowledge that the path to wealth isn't handed to anybody, but don't you think things like job promotions and taking advantage of sales can help people who are really determined?
he shouldn't have been man handled because he was homeless, he's still a human, and still has rights.
I agree that he shouldn't have gotten shoved around without causing trouble, but I don't think cops are trained to act like that. The cop you encountered was probably the exception, rather than the rule, of society.
The Twelfth (also called Orangemen's Day or, in Belfast, Orangefest) is a yearly Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It originated in Ireland during the 18th century. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution (1688) and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne (1690)
.
The 12th of July is one day in the year i am told i am not allowed to leave my house because of rioting - which sickens me. For as long as i can remember, the 11th and 12th of July have been riot nights in my city. I have nothing against Orangefest, or the marching bands that walk through different neighborhood. I do however mind the fact that it's 2011 and sectarian fights still happen every year, this year being the worst since the troubles.
I wish times could progress. Why must we fight over denominations within the same religion. Christianity is Christianity, we shouldn't slay each other. Then again, it never was religion. They call our fighting sectarian, when we all know it's got a political agenda.
As it transpired, the morning and afternoon marches went ahead quiet, so i left the house, went out to lunch in one of the very few places opened for the day and spent some time with my friends. We made plans to sit in and watch a movie, have a quiet night. A few of our friends couldn't join us because the violence usually gets so serious no one but police can come in and out of their districts.
When we arrive and turn on the TV to put on a movie, the news catches our attention. Petrol bombs, bottles, bricks through windows. Police riot fans trying to calm down the fight. It disgusts me. Now, i know people feel strongly about their politics, but there has got to be another way to sort out the differences between the catholic and protestant neighborhoods in Belfast - one that doesn't involve petrol bombs through family or elderly citizens windows.
I hate this orange day march. It pisses me off. It's like a bunch of teenagers reminding other teenagers that their favorite team won the finals fifty years ago. It's just a bunch of prick waving.
And as for the riots, that's just another group of idiot teens who missed out on the fun and want to start it up again. They don't understand or care for the history. Just an excuse to throw petrol bombs and Molotov's.
Efan, i wish we could blame it on teenagers, but the recent violence was orchestrated by men, grown men with families - who have enlisted their kids to take the "front-line".
