Is being a homeless, drug addicted prostitute in America less tragic?

This is what I want to say all the time, but don't, so I thank you for saying it.........because everyone is like "have you seen the slums of Brazil, have you seen the poverty in Africa...etc.....

And I want to answer...I HAVE SEEN the slums of NYC as a homeless ex-foster kid....I have begged and "spanged" to get some money for food. I went hungry and froze and had NO WHERE TO GO. I barely graduated high school and compared to other people my age, I am barely making it.

And my one bio-sibling....he too saw the homeless streets of the city but found himself involved with illegal activities TRYING TO SURVIVE and wound his *** in prison for felony burgerly. At least he is warm and fed there.....

He aged-out too.

I get tired of reading this here that it is worse in X, Y, and Z....because don't tell me that and don't tell the hundreds of "young people" who aged-out of foster care who are looking for a safe spot in central park tonight that it is worse in some foreign country and that is why they did NOT get adopted.....

ETA:

And don't bring up programs...HAVE YOU SPENT THE NIGHT IN A HOMELESS SHELTER as a young person in the US?

Safe? hahahahaha.........

The streets are safer when you hook up with a group.......At a shelter, it is easy to get your *** kicked in an instance or your belongings stolen in a heartbeat. When you are on the streets with your group, someone's got your back. My chance of being raped on the streets with my group was alot less than sleeping in a homeless shelter as a young single girl.

Oh. not to mention the fact that the shelters fill up pretty quickly. So, even if you wanted, they are NOT always available.

ETA2:

Thumbs down. LOL You fools...........you are thumbs downing my experiences? Exactly......I should not have had to have the experiences.......but that's aging-out of US foster care. Screw you...continue to live in your denial.

ETA3:

Indian-vision: Did you really just infer that women who are raped should be able to defend themselves? I suggest you stay far away from any rape crisis centers or working with rape victims if you honestly believe that women who are raped "after the age of 18" did not defend themselves.

And FYI ~ if you know anything about victimatization, if a women has been abused as a child, if she was in a situation where an attack could occur, she might "freeze" and not be able to do anything...this is called Learned Helplessness and it is a very real condition.

You just made a clear "blame the victim" statement......Many rape victims are used to this, but not necessarily from a female.

In a word, yes.

There is absolutely no comparison between poverty in the United States (or any other First World nation) and poverty in Third World countries like Haiti and most of Africa.

In the US, there are government social programs, state and federal assistance, charity groups, housing assistance, every citizen and resident gets free education through the 12th grade, basic healthcare (no hospital will turn anyone away based upon the ability to pay), a police force, etc.

In Third World countries, there is none of that. If you can't manage to feed yourself, you starve. If you get sick and can't afford a doctor, you either get better or you die. If you can't afford an education or even a school uniform, you stay illiterate and uneducated. If you happen to get attacked, assaulted and killed by a group of bandits, nobody is there to protect you.

So yes, in your situation, it's less tragic to be a drug addicted prostitute in the US than a drug addicted prostitute in a third world country. The former has options and opportunities that the latter never will have.

ETA: LT: I'm not belittling your experiences. I'm sure it sucked and I'll admit, though I've been poor in my life, I was never homeless. But my point is, even in the slums of NYC there are more opportunities than in the slums of Monrovia.

I also recall one of the regulars saying something to the effect that orphanages in Africa should have running water, because running water isn't unheard of in Africa.

It's just another example of not having any real comprehension of Third World Country poverty. There really is no comparasion.

I am not opposed to someone adopting internationally however I have found it sad that so many older children in American are left un-adopted. It is not because it is worse conditions in my opinion...it is because most people who plan to adopt want a baby and that is easier in other countries. I don't understand why adopters demand a baby. To be a parent is to want to love a child...the age shouldn't matter...but it does!

Rush contributes to society by all the charities he helps. He also got treatment for his drug addiction and pay for it himself rather wait for a government come along and bail him out. The main reason why his is better because he make liberals mad daily which in my book is a good thing.

Dear Robin,

Being a homeless, drug addicted prostitute ANYWHERE is a tragedy.

I think that people should make efforts to be careful not to confuse treating "symptoms" with finding a "cure". I wish more people would be more conscious about utilizing their resources to help others in the best and most efficient way and to realize that true charity is not supposed to come with tangible benefits to the "donor".

As I have said before, I realize that IA is the answer for some situations but I dislike people using it as an example of "charity" or "saving a child" which is what it sounds like when people talk about the level of poverty they took the child from. I do not see it as a "charitable act". (Charity does not come with tangible rewards for the donor, IMO.)

To me, a child in need is a child in need. The question is not which child is the neediest. The question should be, what can I do to help in the most effective and beneficial way FOR THE CHILD. I submit that most often, adoption, especially out of the child's culture is not the answer. (AGAIN, I agree that there are times that it is, but believe them to be far more rare than as it currently occurs.) JMHO.

I very much hear your point and I am from way up north Minnesota and trust me it is COLD, being homeless here would lead to death no doubt. I think many people adopt intrenationally because they dont have to worry as much about the child first parents coming into the picture, or "messing" things up at the last minuet.

When My Sister was preg she was going to do an "open" adoption but she pulled out of it and the couple who had told her all along that they support her no matter what and blah blah all the sudden hated her and they even stated their next move was to adopt internationally.

Robin,

I know i will get tons of Thumbs down for speaking for my country - India. Just like LT did for speaking of her foster care experience. Thanks for sharing it LT. But may i ask were you an adult when that happened....old enough to defend your self ?

Being a homeless,drug addict prostitute is PATHETIC and horrible no matter which part of the world.

But being poor and homeless in India is far far worse than America. No seriously you can't imagine that can't of poverty. At least i saw shelters for the homeless and soup kitchens in America and a few people that slept on the sidewalk and stood at intersections with signs that said "will work for beer", etc. When you say roads in India are just "dirt roads" you will see they are beyond that to the extent of unhygenic in several places. My country is a place where you have the rich live and its like another world and where the poor live and its like reality of another world.

What is saddest are the kids that spill out on the streets because orphanages do not have a place for them. These kids are begging on the streets and running around trying to make money by doing little jobs. (even though employing a child is illegal) or stealing.

I recommend the winner of golden globe winner "Slum Dog Millionaire" because it shows the reality of the kids on the streets of India. Yes the movie is a fiction BUT THE SETTING IS VERY VERY TRUE!

You will then see why the poverty in these places is far far worse when its affecting minors. At least in America the kids are "somewhat" safe in Foster care. While these kids live on the streets.

ETA- But if we always say "helping one won't help hundreds".....then no one would do anything good for any one with that logic. People won't send charity either. How will my $10 help millions in Africa ? If we ALL did in WHATEVER way we feel comfortable with and try and help the people.......whether through Foster care or IA or by sending money. right. If people started to say how will fostering "one" child help so many in foster care? Then no one would be helped!

ETA 2--LT i was not talking of your attempt of rape. I missed reading this in your post. I am very very sorry if that is what you thought. I wanted to say i am sure you must have been "HOMELESS AS AN ADULT" I said you can defend your self on the street (not rape situation) far better than a 7 year old can. MY EMPHASIS IS OF THE HOMELESS LITTLE CHILDREN THAN ADULTS.

ETA-3

Please don't accuse me of not understanding rape. I have been close to a similar situation of office sexual harrasment and i can understand what a woman feels like.I have been molested as a child too by my house help. No where was i making any inference about what rape victims feel like.But you did make too much "inference" from my saying if you were "old enough to defend your self". I have ALWAYS valued your experience and appreciated your responses because i know you speak with experience. I feel sad that you just jumped to conclusions.

i agree...... the U.S. actually has a whole lot more problems than what the population thinks in general.

homelessness is life-threatening so the government should really solve it somehow.

It can actually be worse especially when you're over 6 or 7 and are smuggled in from foreign countries. The article describe one of the largest known child and youth sex trafficking cases in the United States to date.

http://www.libertadlatina.org/LatAm_US_San_Diego_C...

When a joint FBI, INS and San Diego Sheriff's raid was finally organized and executed, "ten years" after local law enforcement first learned about local trafficking, many of the criminal traffickers and johns escaped.

The movie Trade with Kevin Kline is an accurate depiction of how bad it is in the US. Young single parent eastern european girls are enticed to work in mexico and then held hostage and smuggled into the US....for the sex industry. They drug them up so they can't function or fight back.

personally, i have only been homeless in atlanta, ga. not in any other country.

but i will say that it sucks! but it's also a situation that can very easily be temporary in this country, which was the case for me.

i volunteer in a homeless shelter a few days a week. in my opinion, there are many people there who are content being homeless, and therefore do not make a choice to change it.

i made a choice, too. for me, it was to not be homeless anymore.

Actually, yes it is worse to be homeless and without anyone in other countries, especially the countries we have been speaking of. If you did any research whatsoever (other than what will support your own very prejudice view) you would know how tragic it is to be in that position in other countries. As long as you are in America, you have a chance. That is SO not the case in most of these other countries.