Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTRen13
Reading over this thread, I am really shocked (probably more than I should be, admittedly). If you stop for a minute and really think about it, I'm sure that you all know someone (a relative, friend's relative, someone!) who it wouldn't take a great stretch of the imagination to picture homeless. If your Uncle Joe, or Aunt Jane, or your friend Jen's Granpa John, or whoever, DIDN'T have a family looking out for them and taking care of them, then where would they be? How would strangers see them, when they are dirty, and alone, and not on their pills? To you, they are a familiar face who deserves compassion and help, but tweak the circumstances just a little bit, and then they're that bum on the street who scares people and everyone is so horrified and angry about. 
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Actually, a cousin of mine is (or was until recently) in just that situation. He's afflicted with schizophrenia, he chose not to take his meds, and until recently was on the street.
What got him off the street?
He heard Jesus tell him to set himself on fire, so he did. Now he's been at the burn ward at the local hospital for a few months now. After that, IF he survives, he'll likely live out his days in a psychiatric facility in an extremely medicated state.
When someone like that wants to be off their meds and on the street, there's just not a lot you can do for them. They still have their right to be free and do what they want with themselves. Would you take that right away?