(03-19-2021, 04:06 PM)Dānu Wrote: I don't know if this guy was actually homeless or not, but it has occurred to me that the homeless present special problems. They're the least likely to have access to good quality information about Covid and steps to take to protect oneself and others, few resources to buy masks or use alternate behaviors in order to stay safe, and have considerably different priorities compared to people not in that situation. This may be bigotry on my part, but it also seems that many homeless engage in problem behavior. Maybe that's an inappropriate generalization, or just the homeless who stick out, or different priorities, or some combination of all three, but I tend to be more wary around a lot of the homeless that I encounter. I know rationally that those I notice are likely a small proportion of homeless overall, but I can't help myself. It's like being around black people. I know there are plenty of good black people, but I frequent a lot of distressed parts of town, and people both black and white can present strange, uncomfortable, or even dangerous situations in those areas. That being said, again, that's likely an over-representation, but I think my reaction is natural. Maybe not. Maybe I'm more racist than I want to accept.
To be fair to both yourself and homeless folk, mental issues are often what put people on the street in the first place. I can't speak to solid numbers, but most of the stuff I read about homelessness in America references the lack of adequate mental-health resources as being a driver for homelessness.
Given that, extra caution is understandable, even if it may carry a whiff of prejudice.
I think the last sentence of your post is one to be applauded, in the sense that identifying our possible problem thinking is the first step in changing it.
On hiatus.
