Linking Progressives East and West Since 1997
東西のプログレッシブをつなぐ − 1997年設立 | Linking Progressives East and West Since 1997
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Charles says
My impression of the article and the author: sensationalistic, overgeneralizing, and misleading.
Just to mention two points. The author lost me with the use of the term “homeless” to categorize individuals. Second, the author claims that life expectancy for this group of people is 47, in in fact the link to the article specifically states this is only the average age of death of those being studied. Lastly, the author wants to make an argument that begging for money is legitimate and noble, but an individual’s choice to respond with buying food is not, “Don’t just buy them a sandwich from Pret. They’re not four. They have the right to spend their money as they choose – and it is their money, once given.” Yes, once given it is their money. But I am under no obligation to give, which seems to be the author’s message.
That other people use the word “homeless” does not legitimize its use. I would cringe and be appalled if people started referring me to, “the white person” or “White Charles” as somehow shorthand of who I am. Think about what happens when put labels onto to something ( female president, women CEO, foreign worker, black athlete) it somehow changes our perception and delegitimatizes them as a president, CEO, worker and athlete. We are always people first.
tokyoprogressive says
Charles, thank you for the comment above. I more or less agree with you. He was careless in some of his comments, as you point out. And judging by the quality of comments I have seen on FB (where you first responded), too many people who should know better still make stupid comments about alternatives to the word “homeless,” making light of the whole issue. You may be right about the message claiming it is an obligation to give. I am not sure. Certainly, he could have made a more poignant argument. But I have heard too many people say things like they are not going to give people who ask for money anything since they are just going to spend it booze. Which often goes along with the observation that they are “shiftless and lazy”.
(My wife got just that from an inebriated salaryman at an Izakaya near Minami Senju who, overhearing that she worked at Cosmos Visiting Nursing Station and had just come back from a medical checkup for people living in the tents along the river, started launching into a tirade about how he worked his ass off and had “no sympathy for the bums under the bridge”.)
So I guess I am trying to say I am more lenient toward this type of article than I am where the person is openly disparaging people trying to get a decent night’s sleep on park benches that the city makes as uncomfortable as possible to discourage sleeping. But on the other hand, maybe we do need to set better standards for the terminology we use. Thank you.
I more or less agree about the term, but I guess it depends on who uses it and how. Much like “gaijin,” it can be used in both neutral and condescending senses. And I suppose when you turn the word into homelessness, it becomes less a label. But thanks for bringing your perspective to the article. And thanks for responding to the other respond(s?) over on Facebook.