Just sit there and think for a few minutes about what you would do if you had to move out of where you live right now. Scary thought? Sure is for me. I would have to do something with my animals and I sure have a lot more STUFF than when we move down here in 1995!
What if you lost your income at the same time? Most of us would panic. Your thoughts go straight to a cardboard box up under an underpass or maybe a tent in the woods somewhere. Whatever it is, it is not the way you want to spend the next couple of years or the rest of your life.
Yet it does happen to people. We have homeless people living among us. Some live in the cities because that is where the resources are for them to get a little bit to eat, maybe a place to sleep, and sometimes a place to take a bath. I know I’ve seen them in Columbus and LaGrange. Some of them are drug addicts or dealers. Some are mental health cases. Some are veterans down on their luck. Some are all three. It just depends on the individual. But there are people who just get hit by bad times and there just wasn’t a safety net to catch them or their children. They try and try but can’t make life work again.
Where do these people find resources for the basics of life?
- Affordable housing-just a roof over their heads with running water, a toilet that works, electricity, a refrigerator, stove, and locks on the doors to keep people out.
- Sufficient nutritious food every week.
- Work within walking or bicycle distance.
- Schools for children
- Decent looking clothing and shoes
- Safety
- Healthcare
How are we, as a society, going to take care of these needs and get these people back on their feet and contributing to society? Taking away their “social benefits” doesn’t do anything but put a foot on their necks and push them further down. It’s cruel and inhumane. You help people up and turn off benefits as their status improves. That’s not socialism. That’s being responsible to your neighbor.
Wright4Georgia 