Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Whilst I do have utmost sympathy for individuals who find themselves homeless, there is more than enough social and charitable support in this country to prevent you ending up in such a predicament and to help you should you fall through regardless. As such people that persist in remaining homeless should be have help enforced upon them. There is no reason why anyone should remain homeless in modern Britain.


Yet in this so called "modern Britain" there are children and old people dying of starvation, cold and neglect, explain that one.... I'm sure they have all in their own way tried to get help.

muffintop Wrote:

------------------------------------------------------->

> Yet in this so called "modern Britain" there are

> children and old people dying of starvation, cold

> and neglect, explain that one.... I'm sure they

> have all in their own way tried to get help.



Seeking help 'in-your-own-way' I'm afraid just doesn't cut it as an argument, its not acceptable to drive 'in-your-own-way', or do many other things 'in-your-own-way'; there are structures and norms that it is the individual responsibility to use them to as efficiently as possibly to advance themselves. Child and elderly person neglect aside I would have to ask why people fail to make use of the help that is available. If the appropriate channels are followed the help is there, social support is there. You will find that the charitable sector covers those few areas not covered by social services, often usurping the role that should be played by government.


On the point of homeless persons being moved 'from one area to another' and without sounding heartless: Logically would an average homeless person reach a point of critical mass when there are no further profitable areas to go to if they are moved on often and severely enough?

TillieTrotter Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I also remember the guy outside the Lloyds Bank in

> Herne Hill, his name was Steve and he was quite

> erudite.


I remember giving him as the definition of the phrase 'a lazy beggar'.

There he was sat beside the ATM of a not very busy bank, can't have too much foot traffic during the day outside of the rush hour, and even then people wouldn't necessarily use it that much.

He was unfavourably compared to the far more industrious beggars I used to see in Clapham High Street and Brixton Road.

Maybe he had a greater sense of entitlement, perhaps?

A point I'd like to make here is that quite a few of these people aren't homeless at all. They're just professional beggars. I was chatting to one of them the other night outside the Stab & Crime, I'm sure you've seen him on Friday and Saturday nights scrounging for money on Lordship Lane by the EDT, Black Cherry and the Bishop. He's a black guy with a bit of a beard in his late 40s early 50s. I usually give him a couple of quid now and then as he's always very polite and bearing a smile as wide as Goose Green Roundabout but it turns out he lives on the Dog Kennel Hill Estate. Obviously, he's out of work but has turned to begging to help make ends meet.

When I used to work in Central London, some of the begging pitches there were also owned by dealers. Hence, the person begging could rent the picth for a period of time from the dealer. Beg up as much money as they could (often a fair whack in Covent Garden) the dealer would then come along, sell the beggar a snowball, then kick their heads in and take the rest of the money. Practice was called "taxing" dunno if is still goes on.


There was one woman. I used to know that would often get three or four hundred pound drops from tourists. She looked like a 10 yr old boy (and sex worked as one too).

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Yes, these are all good points. I agree with you, that division has led us down dangerous paths in the past. And I deplore any kind of racism (as I think you probably know).  But I feel that a lot of the current wave of xenophobia we're witnessing is actually more about a general malaise and discontent. I know non-white people around here who are surprisingly vocal about immigrants - legal or otherwise. I think this feeling transcends skin colour for a lot of people and isn't as simple as, say, the Jew hatred of the 1930s or the Irish and Black racism that we saw laterally. I think people feel ignored and looked down upon.  What you don't realise, Sephiroth, is that I actually agree with a lot of what you're saying. I just think that looking down on people because of their voting history and opinions is self-defeating. And that's where Labour's getting it wrong and Reform is reaping the rewards.   
    • @Sephiroth you made some interesting points on the economy, on the Lammy thread. Thought it worth broadening the discussion. Reeves (irrespective of her financial competence) clearly was too downbeat on things when Labour came into power. But could there have been more honesty on the liklihood of taxes going up (which they have done, and will do in any case due to the freezing of personal allowances).  It may have been a silly commitment not to do this, but were you damned if you do and damned if you don't?
    • I'd quit this thread, let those who just want to slag Labour off have their own thread.  Your views on the economy are worth debating.  I'm just stunned how there wasn't this level of noise with the last government.  I could try to get some dirt on Badenoch but she is pointless  Whilst I am not a fan of the Daily Mirror at least there is some respite from Labour bashing. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/grenfell-hillsborough-families-make-powerful-36175862 https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-facing-parliamentary-investigation-36188612  
    • That is a bit cake and eat it tho, isn’t it?    At what point do we stop respecting other people’s opinions and beliefs  because history shows us we sometimes simply have no other choice  you are holding some comfort blanket that allows you to believe we are all equal and all valid and we can simply voice different options - without that ever  impacting on the real world  Were the racists we fought in previous generations different? Were their beliefs patronised by the elites of the time? Or do we learn lessons and avoid mistakes of the past?   racists/bigots having “just as much to say” is both true and yet, a thing we have learnt from the past. The lesson was not “ooh let’s hear them out. They sound interesting and valid and as worthy of an audience as people who hold the opposite opinion” 
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...