SHOULD the homeless have a voice? would you give them one?

[reddread]

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/17th-homelessness-marathon


http://news.homelessnessmarathon.org/

there is a paucity of lobbying interests for the homeless themselves.
profiteers and service providers have no problems speaking of their needs.
is that the same thing?
no, it is not.

IF (I know it isnt an "if" thing for most here) you feel injustice strikes hardest
at the poor and truly oppressed folks who have their safety disregarded by those
meant to ensure all of ours?
Please consider sending one or two bucks to this organization. It may be all they have
that really gives them a megaphone and an opportunity to speak the truth of their circumstances.
just one or two bucks from any number of people could make the biggest of differences.

[Kalidurga]

1. Yes

and they should also have shelter, permanent or at least what passes for permanent (an apartment) shelter.

[Thinkingabout]

2. We have a voice, become a voter.

[reddread]

3. best joke ever

not sure if this is the place for humor. how odd of me.

[Thinkingabout]

4. This is not a joke, I know some think voting is a joke but it is a voice.

[reddread]

5. like some percentage of DU doesnt vote? such a popular red herring of outrage

perhaps you think a slender margin of the population can make the difference between two bad candidates who do not
give a shit about their well being?

yes, it is a joke, whether you realize it, or not.

[Thinkingabout]

7. Don't complain if you don't vote, yes I hear the laughter coming from certain corners,

this is why there will be laughing in the GOP corner because they have defeated the majority because Democrats simply do not show up to vote.

[LiberalElite]

8. Sure I vote - but I feel like

the guy in the old Verizon commercial: CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?????

[Thinkingabout]

10. When the 2014 election is broken down, there was some elections which could have been

Last edited Sun Dec 28, 2014, 05:50 PM - Edit history (1)

won if the two thirds of eligible voters shown up and voted, the result was the voices of the GOP voters was heard. We have the majority, why is Democrats not supporting Democrat candidates? The crap of this one said this one day and I will not vote for them is not winning elections.

[JonLP24]

31. How do War on Voting changes effect that?

Last edited Sun Dec 28, 2014, 07:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Obama won Ohio & Florida with high turnout & IIRC 70%+ support especially from the urban centers so what did the Republicans do? Made sure to significantly curtail that shit. What else? Remember ACORN?

Republicans certainly are laughing, the attention is focused at the voters who didn't turn out instead of the amount of money, energy, & focus making sure they didn't vote. The Republican party behind the scenes are evil geniuses and so good at marketing that you are making that argument.

[Thinkingabout]

32. I corrected the year to 2014, Kay Hagan would probably have won if the eligible

Non voters would have voted.

[JonLP24]

36. That doesn't answer the question

but I forget to use the words 'early voting' in my post. Florida & Ohio were easier to win the Democratic ticket with 30+ days of early voting, now its been cut back to around 10 days if not less.

It is from 2012 but look at the changes in Florida which led to overcrowding for Florida early-voting you can probably easily find the Youtube video where they shut the doors (because of the overwhelming number of people without a suitably equipped staff to handle which is a common problem in urban centers where the poor already have enough of a problem finding time to do it) with people were chanting "let us vote!".

Not the GOP's fault though. (sarcasm)

[Thinkingabout]

37. Yes, the GOP has been woeking overtime to find ways to block or "discourage"

Democrats from voting. This only encourages me more to GOTV and I vote in every election whether candidates are running or not. The voter ID was to scare off eligible voters. I worked a voting precinct in Texas and the voter ID does not stop voter fraud. This is another of GOP lies. In fact the voter fraud I know of is by Republicans, they think if they own a house in two states it gives them the right to vote in each state. In the precinct I worked in did have lines especially in the ending hours but I did nit work in a minority precinct. Cutting down the early voting also those dependent on others taking them to vote. A lot of the post I read here on DU was not willing to vote because they were not "excited" by the issues, these are the ones I complain about.

[Boreal]

25. Of all the politicians who "represent" me

The only one who meets with the public on a regular basis, solicits feedback and explains EVERY vote is the US congressman. And, guess what - he's a Republican (Justin Amash). The Chamber of Commerce spent a fortune trying to unseat him but failed.

[reddread]

9. when the Democrats in the Ft Lauderdale city council arrest a 90 year old repeatedly

who would you suggest voting for?
settling for an unsecured, uncounted, unrecounted and otherwise misplaced ballot?
thats a fairly dumb/mute voice you have.

[Thinkingabout]

11. I fight homelessness every week, I work on a minumun wage job, I struggle, it is not easy

being poor. There are lots of agencies in place to assist, the 90 year old can get assistance and if he paid FICA taxes he is entitled to funds from Social Security. I don't know what he is being arrested, but you know and I know there are agencies in which he can get assistance.

[reddread]

12. best of luck to you

sorry you have no idea what I am talking about.
good luck out there.

[Thinkingabout]

14. Perhaps you do not understand, I donate to charities but to say the homeless does not have a

voice is wrong.

[reddread]

16. I hope you will begin thinking a little harder about everything

because you have no idea what you are talking about.
let alone what I just told you.
if you have no grasp on current events, and think that a vote is enough for someone on the precipice of death?
you need to do better.

[Thinkingabout]

18. You have no idea of what you are talking, you said a 90 year old get arrested all the time,

do you know the reasons he is being arrested? Did you know he is entitled to a minimum amount of money from Social Security if he paid in for 10 years? Did you know he is entitled to Medicaid assistance, they will give him needed care in a nursing home should he desire to live in a nursing home and obey their rules? If he chooses remain homeless it is by his choice.

[reddread]

19. allow me to introduce you to google

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=ft+lauderdale+90+year+old+man+arrested


or if you have already made acquaintance with that search engine, here is one link of many on what is quite the current topic.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/05/fort-lauderdale-cracks-down-on-feeding-homeless-in-public-arrests-90-year-old-man/

[Thinkingabout]

22. Arresting him was probably the kindest thing they could do for him, gives him shelter and food.

[reddread]

24. appreciate the kicks and the disturbing experience

linkaphobia?

"ARRESTING HIM WAS PROBABLY THE KINDEST THING THEY COULD DO FOR HIM"
carry on.

[Boreal]

27. Please stop nt

[stage left]

35. Ah.... the 90 year old man wasn't arrested for being homeless.

He was arrested for feeding the homeless.

[reddread]

21. registering homeless voters is not difficult

an address is not required (iirc) but a locality perhaps, ie the corner of such and such, behind this or that should suffice.
Ive seen a few registration drives.
the ultimate difficulty being similar to what we all deal with, candidates not of our choosing, with no sincere interests within a community that is facing persecution for existing.
while homeless voters and their issues can constitute a significant factor in certain districts that are disproportionately impacted,
a history of absolute disregard and cheap talk followed by a hostile walk is hardly encouraging.
if voting was a solution, would any of us be unhappy with our current government and policies?

its a joke.
but you can register them.
the fact is putting seats in the audience of the city council means MUCH more than putting votes into those council seats.
thats what is laughable about thinking a vote equals a voice.
FOR ANY OF US.
you want a voice, you need to raise your own.

[Oilwellian]

20. And...

what address would the homeless use when registering to vote?

[Cleita]

26. In order to vote you have to have an address at the very least.

Very few homeless have one. Now with new laws in many state requiring a perfect ID, it becomes even more a remote possibility.

[reddread]

33. fortunately, that is not true

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/projects/vote/court.html

unfortunately, the candidates courting those voters and giving encouragement
will turn on a dime once inside.

and that is the way that it is.

[JonLP24]

29. Voter ID laws disproportionally affect the homeless

They do have a voice, Republicans are afraid of it. Why would a War on Voting even exist if they didn't aimed at making voting as difficult & confusing for the poor, minorities, and the young. Especially in urban locations.

Though if they're felon they don't have one depending on the state. Their only voice is to keep marking that box for everything they apply for.

[Ramses]

41. Can you provide the last article

From either party, Democratic or Republican, any politician from either party that has recently addressed homeless people and poverty.

Id love to read it

[Thinkingabout]

42. I dont have an article on the right to vote, thought most adults know they can vote

If they meet the requirements after they are 18.

[Ramses]

43. i asked you to provide the most recent article available

By either party on the subjects of homeless people and poverty.

Do you want me to repeat the question posed a third time, or will you deflect the question again.

[Thinkingabout]

44. If you want an article about homeless people and poverty then you can use google which you

Have referred to me, you responded to a post saying we have a voice, the right to vote. I am not interested in doing your search.

[reddread]

45. why are you disrupting here?

[Thinkingabout]

47. You really are confused, are you Rames or reddread or both.

When you post on DU in general discussion then you open up to being answered by anyone. Why did you ask for a link to the homeless when responding to my remark about voting.

[reddread]

51. yet you cant respond to questions or discuss the OP

totally off topic and either completely confused or obstinately disruptive.
clueless.

[Thinkingabout]

52. Off topic, having a voice is very much the topic I have been posting.

Go back and read Post #18, are you the one who posted this, if you are interested in doing research then by all means use your link in post #18 for google and do whatever research you please, your question is not of interest for me to spend time researching for you.

[reddread]

53. fare thee well

goodbye.

[Ramses]

46. Forgive me, but your premise

Is that homeless people and those in poverty have the right to vote, correct?

[Thinkingabout]

48. If one is a citizen, over 18, register to vote and we do not charge a poll tax. Oh, there

are some criminals which lose the right to vote.

[Ramses]

49. im sure.

So those homeless people and people in poverty who are not criminals have the right to vote, correct?

[Autumn]

6. A question that should never need to be asked.

That it is asked shows how low we have fallen as a country. Thanks for posting this and the link.

[Archae]

13. First off, we need to quit lumping them all together. "The Homeless"

Each one is homeless for a different reason.

Drugs
Alcohol
Unemployed
Priced out of housing market
Mental illness

Etc...

These have to be addressed on an individual basis, lumping "The Homeless" together just makes things worse.

[Thinkingabout]

15. K & R

[HereSince1628]

34. Considering unemployment for the mentally ill averages around 80%

considering that without employment housing and food security are serious challenges, some of these things sort of do require the capacity to tackle simultaneously

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=press_room&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=169616

It's surely true that not every homeless, jobless person is mentally ill and vice versa. It's also true that each person needs individual attention to meet individual circumstance. But the system has to be set up to expect and properly deal with co-occurences of many of these things because co-occurrence is not rare.

[nilesobek]

50. That's sensible.

It would be a travesty to label the homeless all one way. The world is full of damaged people and I'm one of them. I was homeless for ten years and even in my current environment, which is decent, I find myself going back to ultra austerity habits I had while homeless. I'll conserve food and water. I turn off the lights and such all the time. I turn the heat down because I'm used to the cold wind and air and its way too hot for me at 70 degrees. After a long time on the streets and homeless camps I became adjusted to that and not regular social norms.

It would be easy to say that I'm damaged but would I fit in to a mentally ill category?

[riderinthestorm]

17. Too often the homeless are invisible. I like that this group is letting THEM speak directly

Speak directly to us.

K&R!

(I'm shocked this post doesn't have hundreds of recs and that the group is struggling to raise funds...smh)

[reddread]

23. thank you for attending to the content of the OP and caring

seriously.

[L0oniX]

28. They should have more of a voice than anyone else.

[Lint Head]

30. Homelessness in this day in age should be an anachronism

[daredtowork]

38. Have you looked into YouCaring.com?

It looks like people can use this to give money without the percentage being taken out:
http://www.youcaring.com/

[reddread]

39. myself? no, I havent

but I think I failed to make the OP clear...

for those who would, please look forward to the Homelessness Marathon broadcast,
and if you can toss them one, two, five or ten dollars to back their efforts it would be
a very good way of ensuring a voice for many homeless American citizens who will participate.
I wish I could help people differentiate rather than conflate "a voice" with "a vote"
they are not the same, at all.

[gopiscrap]

40. Absolutely yes!!!