I’m sure the assumptions and stereotypes are flowing erratically now. How all homeless people scavenge for money to spend on alcohol and drugs, how they steal – which is barbaric! How dare they steal for survival! How immoral! – how they could fix their lives if they just stopped being lazy and got a job.
The painful reality for every individual living in poverty doesn’t fall under these false assumptions. Of course, addiction and thievery exist, but these issues prevail in financially stable people as well. Mental illness and making ‘morally wrong choices’ do not discriminate, after all, and occur in all walks of life.
When a rough sleeper reaches out to people walking by who are cautiously averting their gaze, the true intention behind their request is unknown. We want to hold onto our money for various reasons, and simply ignore the echoing voices pleading for spare change. Assumptions are thrown out rapidly, and as we move on without sparing a thought, they stay there continuing to request money. To live in a world where poverty is rife, despite numerous financial successes prevailing, is appalling. To avoid rough sleepers or outright attack them, disposing of their few belongings, is outright barbaric. To have the belief that they are below us is a failure of humanity, because the occurrence of poverty and homelessness has been attributed to laziness, mental illness and delinquency, with no regard to each person’s true story and circumstances. When these associations are made, these people are deemed unworthy of help, and they’re cast aside. They’re told to ‘get a job’ – as if this will be the solution! Without the basic means to survive, how can you expect someone to attain a stable job? Many people in poverty could already have a job, which isn’t enough to provide shelter and food. When you barely have anything, and you’re routinely shunned from society, seeking help isn’t an easy task. Even with some form of help provided, those is poverty are spun around in circles when trying to secure necessities. Their circumstances are heavily scrutinised, and after all that struggle, they could still be turned away. This cycle prevails all over the world, because humanity has developed a unified sense of abhorrence towards those in need. Unless something is received in return, help is hardly given. Kindness and genuine selflessness has dwindled, as this capitalist-era generation is attempting to shoot minorities down even more.
A theory proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" in Psychological Review shows a universal set of needs for society, and an important note is that Maslow expressed that the next tier cannot be acquired without full attainment of the previous tier.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs dictates the five tiers of necessities for us in life. The most basic requirement for human life includes physiological needs: shelter, food and water, and safety needs: security. Beyond these two tiers, we have psychological needs and self-fulfilment needs, as shown by the image below. Ultimately, Maslow shows that self-actualisation is the ultimate goal, as this stage shows a person who is physiologically, emotionally and physically fulfilled.
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| Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs; source: https://www.simplypsychology.org |
To qualify as living in poverty, people are typically missing the two bottom tiers, the basic elements of life.
Unfortunately, modern attitudes to poverty and homelessness have turned into something nasty and violent. A universal don’t make eye contact with the dirty guy sitting on the ground asking for change has been established, and some people go to great lengths to inflict pain on these very people we’ve become accustomed to ignoring. Workers throwing water over sleeping people, officers ordering people to relocate their tents and belongings elsewhere (where?), dry tunnels being covered in ‘anti homeless spikes’ and armrests erected on benches to prevent someone from lying down are just a few examples of this demeaning attitude taking precedence over eliminating poverty (which is entirely possible – if millionaires and billionaires would stop hoarding undeserved money.)
The concept of humanity growing and succeeding is probable, however the attitude that’s been developed towards minorities and make it seems impossible. If poverty is treated like this, what chance do we have of succeeding in life? Humanity and morality have been disintegrated by capitalist ideologies, and the damage is clearly visible but remaining untouched by governments and those in power to eradicate it. Some people think that those without access to water, food and shelter ought to be automatically disqualified from a sheltered, clothed and fed life. That these people are below us, and only deserve these basic human necessities if they work to their deaths for their needs to be met is now attacked relentlessly. People are adamantly questioning ‘Why should they get help? Why should they be given a chance? Why should I care?’ and adding to the destructive narrative of homeless people existing to spite us or to burden us. How morally bankrupt, senseless and heartless must you be to claim that these people don’t deserve help? How much of your moral understanding has been tainted by capitalism and greed?
When governments and authorities pay little attention to removing poverty from our timeline, the issue is bound to escalate. Funding for shelters, education, accessibility and basic help are on a decline, fueling a narrative of shunning those in poverty. The money and infrastructure are available – the UK government is surely drowning in it – yet these misplaced finances are allowing poverty rates to increase, and a lower quality of life to be delivered for thousands of people. The rich will sit comfortably in their empty mansions, yet a family broken up by poverty will scour the streets for something, anything, to get them by. To follow this skewed logic and allow the continuity of oppressive forces is barbaric.
I’m incredibly uncomfortable with the constant disbelief extended towards those in poverty. Not every individual is out to get you, and even if someone did use your money for their addiction, it is an addiction – without access to support, how can you expect someone to quit, cold-turkey? Not only would this have detrimental effects on their health, but without medical assistance and resources, overcoming addiction will be tremendously difficult. When people opt to provide items instead of money, an arrogant attitude shouldn’t be adopted. You haven’t saved yourself from being robbed by buying them a sandwich – you’ve just limited this person’s options. I’m sure food is greatly appreciated, but other necessities shouldn’t be forgotten: water, antiseptic ointments, menstruation pads/ tampons, face wipes, toothbrushes and toothpaste are some examples.
Really, if your intention is to help someone, and they use that fiver for something you disapprove of (why do you care?), you shouldn’t be agitated by your money ‘going to waste’. If your intention to help was genuine, then this intention has been noted. What happens after that is not under your control. Many corrupt charities function with the same premise attributed to those in poverty – taking money and not using it appropriately. The logos, titles and ‘official nature’ of a charity is not automatically trustworthy. That same money has probably been misused, without your knowledge, never going to a person in need. This isn’t to say that donating is pointless, but rather pointing out distinct hypocrisy that goes unnoticed. Helping individuals has a substantial effect in helping them attain their physiological needs and lobbying for funding and resources from the government helps people on a larger scale. Donate to reputable charities after thorough research; there’s only so much you can do, when it comes to ensuring your donations are used appropriately, after all. At least make the effort to seek out reliable organisations.
If you’re choosing to ultimately keep your money to yourself, don’t extend that attitude to those in poverty when they aren’t bothering you. Don’t act as if their existence is a burden on you. It isn’t always possible to spare some money, which is fair enough, but this problematic thinking only shows your haughtiness and arrogance. Don’t be that dickhead.
Zack