Homelessness is a serious problem in America. It is also extremely common and no matter where one goes in the country, one can see the homeless walking and loitering around the cities and parks. The problem of homeless creates a number of reactions. The first and most obvious is a desire to help those less fortunate than oneself. However as one studies the problem in greater depth another reaction also becomes evident. This is the fact that many homeless people are taking advantage of the social sympathy around them. The question therefore has to be asked; does a realistic view of homelessness not also suggest that homeless people should also help themselves and not rely totally on the help of others? The central thesis in this paper is that homeless people often take advantage of those who care and there are many who are also using the system to their own advantage,
             Homelessness is certainly a serious problem in the United States. Statistics show that approximately 3.5 million people are likely to be homeless in any given year. (How Many People Experience Homelessness?) Studies have also established that "...1% of the U.S. population experiences homelessness each year..." (How Many People Experience Homelessness?) Furthermore the figures also indicate that the incidence of homelessness is on the increase in America with homelessness rates tripling between 1981 and 1989. More recently The National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty reports that over 3 million men, women, and children were homeless over the past year. (Homeless.org)
             These statistics raise some important concerns. Why has homelessness become such a common and prevalent aspect of our society? Many people also are uncertain of how to react to the homeless. For instance, should they hand out money to them or should they ignore them? The problem however does not seem to go away but rather to get worse and for that reason this is a...