Other Thoughts, Concerns, and or Considerations

I often hear the poor want to be poor.  The homeless want to be homeless.  This is not true for the majority, only a minority which is overly exaggerated by the libertarian and conservative side of politics.  Few people want to be poor, to go from hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheck.  You will have a few, you always will think that is all they are worth, or are perfectly satisfied with that situation.

But for more of the poor and homeless it is a choice, among some other devastating choices.  Some people are willing to make those choices, others are not so willing to do it.  They have given enough, and want a small handful of selfish things.  But that is not to be thrown in their faces. 

Before I was homeless, I gave my life and my vehicle, the greatest achievement to that point to a job.  When I was ejected on my ear, forced into a hotel, then a tent, I kept the truck, I kept my belongings, I kept the pets I had.  It is not like I have fifty cats, thirty dogs running around.  I have a dog, my parents have a dog each.  My mom also has two cats, and along the way, we picked up two more, two other animals that were cast aside by humanity, just as we often felt we were. 

It is cruel to keep pets in a tent, so I am told.  No point in explaining that two of the dogs are so old, it would be more humane to destroy them, than send them to another home.  No point in saying that the third has actually been trained as a drug dog in the time since I acquired him, and that outside of two people, he is not trusting at all.  The two cats, while younger, have only known one home, since they were weeks old.  All cats are fickle, they are oddities, one does not own a cat, it owns you; A cat does not live with you, you live with it.  Some are very tolerant of other people, others are only tolerant to those within the household.  Our cats are somewhat tolerant, to even those who are in the household.

I mentioned we picked up two more cats along the way.  One was dumped at a campground we were in, she would have starved, or froze to death in that winter.  If she was lucky the owners would have shot her.  Instead, she gets fed well, she has shelter, and warmth.  Sure she could find a home, but she has tendencies that many consider undesirable for a cat.  The last, I wadded into a cesspool to rescue in the middle of winter.  Another animal cast aside by humanity, one that shows little trust for anyone, and can you blame him?  Thrown from a moving car, chased by dogs onto a softly frozen pond only to fall into it, and nearly die.

These things happen often in this world, and sometimes, a homeless or poor person comes along and takes these animals in.  But some seem to think it is wrong for them to have anything like a pet.  If they would just give up something that loves them for who they are, something that loves them when they are at the bottom of the heap, they would be able to get out of their homeless state.  Sure, some people can do that, not all. 

All animals are not created equal, nor are all people.  Some people can simply dump an animal on a doorstep of a friend of family member.  Not all, some people lack the trust in others to do so.  I know few people I would trust with a pet rat.  Most animals that go into a shelter never see the outside of it again.  Don't believe me, Google "PETA puts down animals".  The last time I searched that, I think the number was around 80% of all animals PETA "rescues" are destroyed.  The same is true of animal shelters, call up your local shelter and ask them.

But there is a larger point to this meh post.  To tell someone they could better their circumstances, except they have pets is a crap way to go.  Sure, it might be true, but did you ever think they might need that animal's affection.  It might be one of the few things that get them up in the morning, get them out and about.  Studies have show that having an animal can reduce symptoms of depression, lower stress levels, and reduce blood pressure.

Another thing, some of the worlds worst killed their own pets, out of fear the animal would find a cruel end, once they were gone.  Sick as it is, they thought more of their pet, than they did of humanity in general.  But here we are.

You are poor/homeless because you want to be.  If you would just give up one of the things that brings you pleasure, you might be able to improve that situation.  Most people who are homeless, didn't get there by choice, it was a bunch of things that just happened.  So we punish them more?  How many homeless people already lost everything they owned?  But because you can get rid of a pet, and it causes you some minor butthurt, you think everyone should be able to do that.

Sorry about your loss, but I doubt it was that severe for you.  Speaking of which, I have lost pets before, I think about where they are, their welfare daily.  I miss those pets, just like I miss every animal I ever had put down, every animal I put down on the farm.  One thing about it, those animals who I know are gone from this world, I know they aren't suffering.  Those animals I lost as a result of life events, my personal situations, I worry after them.  I am concerned that they are well tended, if they have plenty of food, if they have shelter, that along with the situation I am in.

I guess my problem is, I tend to see more humanity in animals than I do in most humans anymore.