New Bill Would Classify Homelessness As Medical Condition
HONOLULU (AP) — As an emergency room doctor, Hawaii Sen. Josh Green sees homeless patients suffering from diabetes, mental health problems and an array of medical issues that are more difficult to manage when they are homeless or do not have permanent housing.
That’s why Green says he wants to homelessness classified under Hawaii state law as a medical condition.
If homelessness is a disease, he reasons, then doctors should be able to write prescriptions for the cure: Housing.
“It is paradigm shift for sure, but the single best thing we can do today is to allow physicians and health care providers in general to write prescriptions for housing,” Green said.
I volunteer at my church to help the homeless. A lot of them due to no fault of their own are homeless because they are either unemployed or under employed and cannot afford housing.
Some of them were middle class at one time. A good number of them are young and are working any job they can find and just cannot make it in this economy. Some are drug addicts and bums and some are mentally ill. But to classify all of them as mentally ill or to criminalize this, it in my view criminal!!! What the hell do you expect them to do?
Throw them in prison because there have no where to go? How about homeless Vets? Shelters are full of them! Jail them as well for being homeless? This could happen to anyone. A lot of us, including me are only a few paycheck away from being homeless. It is wrong to lump them in one group. Definitely an infringement of a person's personal rights and freedoms!!!
It is NOT a disease. Some are there due to loss of jobs etc, but a lot are also there because they do not want to work or better themselves and like the handouts.
You can't make the "homeless" take the "cure." Curing them against their will would be imprisoning them. Making homelessness a crime would accomplish the same thing.
I volunteer at my church to help the homeless. A lot of them due to no fault of their own are homeless because they are either unemployed or under employed and cannot afford housing.
ReplyDeleteSome of them were middle class at one time. A good number of them are young and are working any job they can find and just cannot make it in this economy.
Some are drug addicts and bums and some are mentally ill. But to classify all of them as mentally ill or to criminalize this, it in my view criminal!!! What the hell do you expect them to do?
Throw them in prison because there have no where to go? How about homeless Vets? Shelters are full of them! Jail them as well for being homeless?
This could happen to anyone. A lot of us, including me are only a few paycheck away from being homeless. It is wrong to lump them in one group. Definitely an infringement of a person's personal rights and freedoms!!!
Homelessness is NOT a medical condition and this doctor is an idiot!
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought my drug addicted daughter made stupid decisions. This proves there is no limit on Stupid.
ReplyDeleteFootball might as well be a medical condition as well, or do I buy an auto policy for that?
Should write a prescription for a job.
ReplyDeleteIt is NOT a disease. Some are there due to loss of jobs etc, but a lot are also there because they do not want to work or better themselves and like the handouts.
ReplyDeleteYou can't make the "homeless" take the "cure." Curing them against their will would be imprisoning them. Making homelessness a crime would accomplish the same thing.
ReplyDelete