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[Politics] Society



PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 15, 2004
18,607
Hurst Green
In my job I have the need to visit many towns and cities, it has recently really hit me the increase in those in need. We see, hear and observe those around us as we go about our daily lives, many less fortunate than us. We look, sometimes with disdain, sometimes pity but nonetheless we see them. We don't know their stories, the reason for their situation, we may help, give them our change, perhaps these days they need a card reader so we can "tap" our guilt. However I'm amazed at the level of homelessness or those in dire need.

I was in Birmingham this week for two days. Firstly I traveled across London , witnessing the scramble for a discarded fag butt, the begging for a "cuppa". Then to Birmingham, the same. A one legged man in a wheelchair barely able to push himself along, a young girl who I noted from my last visit, same place, still weeping. Nationality, English, but does it matter, someones daughter, begging not for money but a beginning, a life, a future, help

I traveled down this evening to Bournemouth, an arduous journey thanks to the railway, some 5 hours crammed in a tube of like minded people, all wanting the end to their "hard" days work. I checked into my hotel, top floor, executive status, free bar. I walked out to find an eatery as the hotel had a function. I happened upon an elderly lady, a local clean well dressed, she asked for money for a coffee. I took the time to talk to her as I delved in my pocket, attempting,as we all do, not to bring too much change into our hand. I gave her £1.70 in change. She was fully conversant, telling me of her hardship. A deceased husband unknown to her with a debt, not to a bank, but though after years of working hard at the docks, he had a gambling debt, to the wrong sort. They still knocked the door of her flat. Demanding money, frightened she gave them her pension, it still goes on to this day. She goes out to stop the knocking, the fear. I ended up paying for a meal for her, a takeaway. did it make me feel good? No, it didn't but on reflection it made me write this.

We have those that are marching for climate change, those on Brexit, but very few on how, what or if we need to change how we want our society to be.

So all I can suggest and as I have done for a number of years, as we march forwards to the festive time, think of others and if you can help them, not to make you feel better but to make them feel better. Underneath that dirty duvet is a person.
 
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portlock seagull

Why? Why us?
Jul 28, 2003
16,979
Agree Piltdown, if we can get past an entire page before the cynics arrive and start telling us it’s professional begging, you’ve been conned etc....? We are living in an age where the gap between rich and poor is bigger than ever, Well done I say, not just for giving some money but taking time to talk. I do the former, probably just to ease my conscious, but rarely the later which is really good of you. Commendable. Be kind to others and give what you is a motto for life really so well played.
 




PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 15, 2004
18,607
Hurst Green
Agree Piltdown, if we can get past an entire page before the cynics arrive and start telling us it’s professional begging, you’ve been conned etc....? We are living in an age where the gap between rich and poor is bigger than ever, Well done I say, not just for giving some money but taking time to talk. I do the former, probably just to ease my conscious, but rarely the later which is really good of you. Commendable. Be kind to others and give what you is a motto for life really so well played.

There was a guy in Hastings who left a chalked message on the pavement thanking those who helped him. He finally got a place he could call a home, a bedsit. A chance in life.

There are those begging "professionally" but there are many many more who are not. There's a statistic (I can't remember exactly) that a huge number of people who are one months pay cheque away from being homeless.

Having young adult children myself, I worry, they are more reliant then ever on us to help them and those that can't are seeing their children facing a very bleak future.
 




spence

British and Proud
Oct 15, 2014
9,811
Crawley
My money goes into charity pots. Lots of beggars in Crawley and they fook me right off for one reason or another. I don't give them money anymore. Most buy either drugs or booze and you are only fueling their habit.
 


PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 15, 2004
18,607
Hurst Green


The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 11, 2016
24,290
West is BEST
It's not Political statement, but a society one. Please don't make it so.

Like it or not, the two are inextricably linked. I wasn’t making a political statement, I was making a factual one.
How society views it’s most vulnerable manifests itself in the governments we vote in. It was ever thus.
 
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PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 15, 2004
18,607
Hurst Green
Like it or not, the two are inextricably linked. I wasn’t making a political statement, I was making a factual one.

Sorry you are making a cheap political remark.

The lady i spoke of has nothing to do with politics.

You miss my point. I made no mention of the, apart from the elderly lady about the reason why these people are begging (she actually isn't homeless). My point if for once you can get beyond your myopic view, is these are people, daughters, sons, even mums, dads, RESPECT them, for they deserve that. The reasons for their situations are varied, some political maybe but many is circumstance completely irrelevant of any political governance mostly family situations (the young) mental health, drug addiction.
 


The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 11, 2016
24,290
West is BEST
Sorry you are making a cheap political remark.

The lady i spoke of has nothing to do with politics.

You miss my point. I made no mention of the, apart from the elderly lady about the reason why these people are begging (she actually isn't homeless). My point if for once you can get beyond your myopic view, is these are people, daughters, sons, even mums, dads, RESPECT them, for they deserve that. The reasons for their situations are varied, some political maybe but many is circumstance completely irrelevant of any political governance mostly family situations (the young) mental health, drug addiction.

It’s not a cheap political point in any way. I work with some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Women with mental health problems, substance abuse issues, DV backgrounds, hostel and street homeless, trafficked women and sex workers. I am well aware of how they find themselves in such straits. I am also acutely aware how ten years of Conservative rule exacerbated the situation.
I spend twelve and a half hours with such women 5 nights a week.
Not point scoring. Just facts. So before you accuse posters of making “cheap” points ask yourself if they may know something about the situation and perhaps have something of import to say about it.

As for your OP, yes, they deserve much more than our contempt.
 
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PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 15, 2004
18,607
Hurst Green
It’s not a cheap political point in any way. I work with some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Women with mental health problems, substance abuse issues, DV backgrounds, hostel and street homeless, trafficked women and sex workers. I am well aware of how they find themselves in such straits. I am also acutely aware how ten years of Conservative rule exacerbated the situation.
I spend twelve and a half hours with such women 5 nights a week.
Not point scoring. Just facts. So before you accuse posters of making “cheap” points ask yourself if they may know something about the situation and perhaps have something of import to say about it.

You turned it political.

I didn’t. I was talking about humanity. How one interacts directly with those around us.
 




Mr Banana

Tedious chump
Aug 8, 2005
5,481
Standing in the way of control
Just to add that there are loads of ways to get involved. Bus opposite C2, Brighton Centre when the weather's bad, homeless kitchen at Clock Tower on Sunday or just donate small stuff to the foodbanks.

I understand why you're not keen on the selfish aspect but it shouldn't be discounted that directly helping people does make the horror of being alive immeasurably more bearable
 


The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 11, 2016
24,290
West is BEST
You turned it political.

I didn’t. I was talking about humanity. How one interacts directly with those around us.

"....it has recently really hit me the increase in those in need"

I was offering an explanation as to the increase you mentioned. Nothing more. Certainly not trying to spark a political row.
 


RexCathedra

Aurea Mediocritas
Jan 14, 2005
3,498
Vacationland
I believe it was settled a long time ago by one of your more beloved Prime Ministers that there is no such thing as 'society'. That there are individual men and women, and there are families, and no government can do anything except through people, and people look to themselves first…
 






Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
21,578
Cowfold
In my job I have the need to visit many towns and cities, it has recently really hit me the increase in those in need. We see, hear and observe those around us as we go about our daily lives, many less fortunate than us. We look, sometimes with disdain, sometimes pity but nonetheless we see them. We don't know their stories, the reason for their situation, we may help, give them our change, perhaps these days they need a card reader so we can "tap" our guilt. However I'm amazed at the level of homelessness or those in dire need.

I was in Birmingham this week for two days. Firstly I traveled across London , witnessing the scramble for a discarded fag butt, the begging for a "cuppa". Then to Birmingham, the same. A one legged man in a wheelchair barely able to push himself along, a young girl who I noted from my last visit, same place, still weeping. Nationality, English, but does it matter, someones daughter, begging not for money but a beginning, a life, a future, help

I traveled down this evening to Bournemouth, an arduous journey thanks to the railway, some 5 hours crammed in a tube of like minded people, all wanting the end to their "hard" days work. I checked into my hotel, top floor, executive status, free bar. I walked out to find an eatery as the hotel had a function. I happened upon an elderly lady, a local clean well dressed, she asked for money for a coffee. I took the time to talk to her as I delved in my pocket, attempting,as we all do, not to bring too much change into our hand. I gave her £1.70 in change. She was fully conversant, telling me of her hardship. A deceased husband unknown to her with a debt, not to a bank, but though after years of working hard at the docks, he had a gambling debt, to the wrong sort. They still knocked the door of her flat. Demanding money, frightened she gave them her pension, it still goes on to this day. She goes out to stop the knocking, the fear. I ended up paying for a meal for her, a takeaway. did it make me feel good? No, it didn't but on reflection it made me write this.

We have those that are marching for climate change, those on Brexit, but very few on how, what or if we need to change how we want our society to be.

So all I can suggest and as I have done for a number of years, as we march forwards to the festive time, think of others and if you can help them, not to make you feel better but to make them feel better. Underneath that dirty duvet is a person.

An excellent post, and very well written. Poverty is something close to my heart too.
 


darkwolf666

Well-known member
Nov 8, 2015
7,575
Sittingbourne, Kent
Ten years of Tory rule.

It goes far deeper and longer ago then that. To my mind the cause of much of the current level of homelessness goes back to the Thatcher regime and the “right to buy” era that decimated affordable housing stock. The greed is good era.

Successive further governments of all colours have failed to address this housing need in any meaningful way, to the point now where it’s too late as there’s far too many professional landlords with too many houses to allow the rental market to once again become affordable.

As a society we continually fail those less fortunate then us, but salve our conscience by chucking some change...
 


The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 11, 2016
24,290
West is BEST
It goes far deeper and longer ago then that. To my mind the cause of much of the current level of homelessness goes back to the Thatcher regime and the “right to buy” era that decimated affordable housing stock. The greed is good era.

Successive further governments of all colours have failed to address this housing need in any meaningful way, to the point now where it’s too late as there’s far too many professional landlords with too many houses to allow the rental market to once again become affordable.

As a society we continually fail those less fortunate then us, but salve our conscience by chucking some change...

The housing shortage is certainly a product of Thatcher. Johnson started cutting women’s services as mayor. St Patrick’s hostel in Brighton closed down a couple of months ago creating many homeless. Mental health services cut to shreds and many facilities won’t take people with substance abuse problems. It’s bloody harsh out there right now.
Cuts and austerity have pushed many vulnerable people into very dangerous situations.
 




hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
61,094
Chandlers Ford
It's not Political statement, but a society one. Please don't make it so.

Your opening post is a fine one - things that people need reminding of, constantly - and what you bothered to do for this elderly lady shows you are a man with compassion.

But sorry - The Clamp is sadly quite right. You can’t possibly discuss the rise in poverty and homelessness, without focusing on the role of government. We have a political party in power, who sold off our social housing, slashed benefits, cut police budgets, and most importantly decimated mental health budgets.

And it’s current leadership are more hardline than any that went before. Yet plenty of decent, compassionate people will still vote for them - blind to the link between policy and ultimate effect - some of them, depressingly, based on swallowing right wing media tropes about how ‘dangerous’ the alternative is.
 


Thunder Bolt

Ordinary Supporter
Proud to announce that Wrap Up Brighton and Hove will take place between 11th to 13th November

Donate your unwanted Winter coats and jackets to Wrap Up Brighton and Hove. They will be used to help local homeless people. Inspired by Wrap Up London, this great initiative is delivered to you by Rotary and American Express
Between 11 and 13 November you can drop off you your coats at Brighton and Hove stations: 7am to 11am
Rushfields Plant Centre, Poynings: 10am to 4pm
Age UK, Seven Dials, Brighton: 10am to 4pm
Hangleton Community Centre: 9am to 9pm
St George’s Church, Kemp Town: 9.30am to 2.30pm
St John's Church, Preston Village: 9am - 11am
 



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