Question by Gayle d: About the homeless in Nashville Tn.?
I am a homeless women. Yes i have definitely read all of the comments about how people feel about homeless people here in Nashville. Yes I do agree that most of us who are homeless have become homeless because of drugs and alcohol, but personally in my case that was not the reason. I had a job, a home, bills that I paid, I even contributed to my taxes as all of us do. Unfortunately I was laid off of my job and was forced into homelessness. I do my best to leave people alone and try to keep myself as clean and respectable as possible to all of the non-homeless people. Sometimes people need help and wont ask for it, such as myself, and then get into situations where they are unable to get out. Does this mean that our families no longer love us? No this is not true but because the economy is getting so bad, our own families can not even afford to help us! I do take offense to those who have horrible things to say because they perceive that if one homeless person does not bathe themselves, and steals from someone that all of them will violate everyone! I am not sticking up for these specific homeless people that do these things to everyone but I will stick up for the ones who deserve being stood up for, the ones who search on a daily basis for a job but get turned down. If you are the one who really wants to help someone, then give us a job so we no longer have to be here on the streets, we are all willing to learn and try out new things! A lot of us have a good head on our shoulders but no one is willing to show or teach us how to do those things! We are all able and willing but we need the chance to show you that we are. I realize that a lot of homeless people stink but there are some of us who go and bathe in places that allow us to shower and wash our clothes. I am sorry but it is unecessary to not bathe. I still have these specific morals about me as well as other homeless members here. Not all of us have chosen to live on the streets and not all of us want to stay there. So all I am saying and really not asking like this should be a question, is that when you look at us people walking down the streets dont be so quick to judge. I use to judge the homeless, and eventually I became one. Also dont scream at us to get a job because many of us have been looking! I realize that there will be several of you that are angry at me stepping out and saying what has happened and I am telling you I am not condoning the thievery and beatings and over exsessive pan handling. I am simply stating that yes there are some bad homeless and some that just got here by a bad hand of cards.    Read more...