Comments on: Hungry http://www.kylehepp.com/2007/09/hungry/ Latin America Destination Wedding Photographer and Blogger Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:22:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: clare http://www.kylehepp.com/2007/09/hungry/comment-page-1/#comment-300 clare Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:16:00 +0000 http://www.kylehepp.com/hungry/#comment-300 Okay, I am not gonna get into the judgment argument. I think things have been aptly said, and you make eloquent your points. That said, I am gonna argue with what S. said. Alcohol is not always the main contributing factor to people ending up on the streets; however, it is often a main comfort factor once stuck there. People end up on the streets for multitudes of reasons: bad luck, no education, low mental capacity, emotional or physical trauma, etc. Surely sometimes alcohol is the contributing factor; but categorically viewing it as such has a secondary effect-- it allows you to wash your hands of the people, it puts them in category of other, lesser than, undeserving. Do you know in old england the poor laws choose between the deserving and undeserving poor. These are the laws that most western societies are based on and in some ways continue with today. But who says who is deserving or undeserving and how far back in a life do you look? Is a woman who is on the street because she is a drug addict undeserving? Is she more deserving if she started using drugs because she was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her grandfather? Okay, I am not gonna get into the judgment argument. I think things have been aptly said, and you make eloquent your points. That said, I am gonna argue with what S. said. Alcohol is not always the main contributing factor to people ending up on the streets; however, it is often a main comfort factor once stuck there. People end up on the streets for multitudes of reasons: bad luck, no education, low mental capacity, emotional or physical trauma, etc. Surely sometimes alcohol is the contributing factor; but categorically viewing it as such has a secondary effect– it allows you to wash your hands of the people, it puts them in category of other, lesser than, undeserving. Do you know in old england the poor laws choose between the deserving and undeserving poor. These are the laws that most western societies are based on and in some ways continue with today. But who says who is deserving or undeserving and how far back in a life do you look? Is a woman who is on the street because she is a drug addict undeserving? Is she more deserving if she started using drugs because she was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her grandfather?

]]> By: bad http://www.kylehepp.com/2007/09/hungry/comment-page-1/#comment-301 bad Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:43:00 +0000 http://www.kylehepp.com/hungry/#comment-301 I agree with you Clare and I want to tell you about something I have been thinking at. It may sound a little controversial but it is possible that some of those who we think are in a unfavorable situation may have decided to go trough it of some reason we don’t understand. It could be a religious, political or philosophic matter. I don’t mean all of them and I don’t mean we don’t need to care, but maybe in some cases it have to do with something else than just bad luck. Am I completely wrong? I agree with you Clare and I want to tell you about something I have been thinking at. It may sound a little controversial but it is possible that some of those who we think are in a unfavorable situation may have decided to go trough it of some reason we don’t understand. It could be a religious, political or philosophic matter. I don’t mean all of them and I don’t mean we don’t need to care, but maybe in some cases it have to do with something else than just bad luck. Am I completely wrong?

]]> By: bad http://www.kylehepp.com/2007/09/hungry/comment-page-1/#comment-291 bad Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:58:00 +0000 http://www.kylehepp.com/hungry/#comment-291 English is not my mother tongue but I will try my best: Your post is very interesting and I have to say that I agree with you “Who are we to judge? But I have got an other question Who are we to feel sorry for someone? I mean that could be a way of looking down on that person. And what is worse, we might be doing that to feel that we are better. I am not saying that it is easy, but if we try to see each other as equals the world will look different. English is not my mother tongue but I will try my best: Your post is very interesting and I have to say that I agree with you “Who are we to judge? But I have got an other question Who are we to feel sorry for someone? I mean that could be a way of looking down on that person. And what is worse, we might be doing that to feel that we are better. I am not saying that it is easy, but if we try to see each other as equals the world will look different.

]]> By: ordinarygirl http://www.kylehepp.com/2007/09/hungry/comment-page-1/#comment-288 ordinarygirl Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:28:00 +0000 http://www.kylehepp.com/hungry/#comment-288 Your words ring very true to me. I once criticized my father for giving money to a woman who I felt was a con artist. But I realized that it was wrong. What she does with the money is her own business and if she's a cheat it's on her own conscience. Of course if the person is very obviously a con and its a racket, that's different. But I judged not knowing. I judged because she made me feel uncomfortable.<br/><br/>Since then I've tried to look at people differently and if I have money to spare I'll give it away. I'd rather give the benefit of doubt and be taken advantage of than refuse someone truly in need. Your words ring very true to me. I once criticized my father for giving money to a woman who I felt was a con artist. But I realized that it was wrong. What she does with the money is her own business and if she’s a cheat it’s on her own conscience. Of course if the person is very obviously a con and its a racket, that’s different. But I judged not knowing. I judged because she made me feel uncomfortable.

Since then I’ve tried to look at people differently and if I have money to spare I’ll give it away. I’d rather give the benefit of doubt and be taken advantage of than refuse someone truly in need.

]]> By: Rachel http://www.kylehepp.com/2007/09/hungry/comment-page-1/#comment-287 Rachel Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:58:00 +0000 http://www.kylehepp.com/hungry/#comment-287 I have a really hard time with the judgment issue because in my city every street corner has someone begging for money. The ironic thing is that they are usually dressed better than most people and have an expensive bike leaning up against a pole behind them. They also all know each other and trade corners and shifts---I am not joking. I feel much more for the one who is silently plodding along not asking for a thing and just literally minding his own business. I would much rather help someone who doesn't ask me for it. Plus there are plenty of jobs for the taking in my city and more programs for the homeless than you can count. <br/>I also have the contrast in Mexico where I would see people who had terrible problems and they would be selling something...usually just a trifle but still it meant the difference of shame and dignity. <br/>In the end, no matter how I say it, it still can't hide the fact that I am, indeed, too judgmental. I have a really hard time with the judgment issue because in my city every street corner has someone begging for money. The ironic thing is that they are usually dressed better than most people and have an expensive bike leaning up against a pole behind them. They also all know each other and trade corners and shifts—I am not joking. I feel much more for the one who is silently plodding along not asking for a thing and just literally minding his own business. I would much rather help someone who doesn’t ask me for it. Plus there are plenty of jobs for the taking in my city and more programs for the homeless than you can count.
I also have the contrast in Mexico where I would see people who had terrible problems and they would be selling something…usually just a trifle but still it meant the difference of shame and dignity.
In the end, no matter how I say it, it still can’t hide the fact that I am, indeed, too judgmental.

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