Homelessness In America: This I Believe | Teen Ink

Homelessness In America: This I Believe

April 13, 2010
By Lilly-Ann BRONZE, Dallas, Texas
Lilly-Ann BRONZE, Dallas, Texas
1 article 15 photos 3 comments

When walking along the narrow streets of downtown Dallas, or waiting for the train at the Dart station, I can’t help to notice certain individuals. Individuals who are resting down on the cement floor, with plastic bags overflowed with clothing and other belongings in hand. Everyone who passes by doesn’t seem to even glare down, or notice them even; they just walk on by with their Blackberry phone in hand. But what really gets me is the fact that this is not just seen in the city Dallas, it is seen throughout the whole country, in both rural and urban areas. Homelessness is a problem that has for a long time been present in our country, and that is why it should be approached by everyone as a whole.

It personally saddens me when I see those who, obviously have more than enough to sustain themselves and their family, do not make the attempt to help those in need. But instead they use their time to seek methods in which to augment their wealth and expand their power. There are those other persons who reside in homes big enough to house twenty people, but instead serve as a luxurious home for three, foolishly throwing away money by misusing utilities like water, electricity, and gas, among others.

Statistics, particularly the ones demonstrated in Preventing Homelessness in America, show that the rates of homeless population keep increasing. Reforms and acts have been passed in the last decades, in regards of fixing and preventing homelessness, yet the problem still exists; it is still there. This comes to show that the only aid coming from the government does not suffice. Help is needed from others, other than the dominant men with nice suits who call themselves part of the government. In another article, A Snapshot of Homelessness, it is being seen obvious that the general services being provided by the government throughout the nation, primarily provide with clothing, transportation assistance, and help with receiving public benefits. Sure they help to some degree, but what will be of these homeless victims when they outgrow their clothes, run out of transportation assistance, or the office where they obtain their public benefits grow annoyed by them and decide to ignore them?
The solution here, I believe, is that each and one of us should contribute on helping out. If everyone pitches in, the help would accumulate, and ultimately creating a great and nation aid in ending this crisis referred to as homelessness. As portrayed in the article A Plan, Not a Dream: How to End Homelessness in Ten Year, by having every local government help out, that would lead up to national interference. First, one can help by not only providing assistance to the homeless by simply donating a pair of used jeans, but also by assisting service offices whose job is to provide services to the homeless, such as finding a permanent job, a permanent home , job training, education, medical care, and etc. Secondly, one can donate money into funds and organizations whose goal is to bring homelessness to an end, and restrain the people of America from falling into the state of being homeless. Like already mentioned, those who have an abundance of economic resources, should be asked to donate money, since most of it will not even be going to a good use.
As much of a cliché it may sound, working together and all contributing to the same cause and bring the continuing problem of homelessness to an end is the only solution that makes sense. Little by little can lead to something great, like collecting pennies that eventually add up to a fortune. Homelessness is not something that one can just turn around and expect for it to go away on its own. Taking action together is the way to go, and help bring America to a more stable environment for all.


The author's comments:
For my speech class, we had to choose a topic to focus on in order to write three speeches. I chose to write about homelessness in America, since it is an issue I am passionate about, and I feel that although many people are aware of the issue, it still remains forgotten.

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