The issues of homelessness and alcoholism are very complex. While homelessness is a worthwhile topic of discussion, this commentary will focus on the alcoholism part of the equation.

I believe that a large contributor to the alcoholism in our country is the mixed messages we have about alcohol. Simply put, how can something as prevalent, accepted, and accessible in our society be so harmful AND illegal when consumed even in moderation?

Stated differently, consider the thousands upon thousands of bars and taverns in the United States. Now add to this list the restaurants, night clubs, sporting events, festivals, state fairs, hotels, casinos, carnivals, etc. where alcoholic beverages are regularly served. Finally, add the grocery stores, liquor stores, beverage stores, the Convenient Food Marts, the 7/11 stores, and the state stores where a person can purchase as many bottles, cans, and cases of alcoholic beverages as he or she desires.

The point: drinking alcohol is pervasively and intimately engrained in our society. Yet in all 50 states, driving with a blood alcohol level of .08% will result in a DUI or DWI if the driver is caught by the police. Something obviously is not right in our society and the way in which it views alcohol. If drinking two or three alcoholic drinks per day is considered dangerous to one’s health AND can result in a DUI or DWI-related fatality, perhaps it’s time that the number of bars and taverns is significantly reduced or eliminated. If drinking can lead to alcoholism by so many people in our society and result in severe health problems and alcohol-related injuries and fatalities, maybe alcohol should not be sold in the above list of stores and business establishments.

Denny
http://www.alcohol-test-info.com

You think I’m joking but I’m not. We’re all paranoid here.

The only examples I can think of are in countries which don’t suffer the social alienation of capitalist countries, and also lack the same fanatical adherence for private property and regulations, so are relaxed about people knocking up a hut on unused land.

However, the problem doesn’t seem to be a lack of housing per se, more the drug and alcohol problems and psychiatric conditions that prevent people taking up housing opportunities.

London has much greater numbers of people living on the streets, I used to meet lots of them when I was working as a park keeper there. They were mostly tolerably pleasant, with one or two exceptions - but whenever I suggested they take up squatting instead of sleeping on the streets, which was easy enough in London, they looked at me as if I was totally dodgy and muttered that they wouldn’t want to do something like that.

They considered squatting criminal and unethical, but I think a lack of initiative was also a factor. It seems to me that the root causes of homelessness - people losing the ability or desire to improve their lives - aren’t being seriously tackled.

Having said that, I’ve no idea how to go about fixing this problem within the present society. My guess is tha problem has been exacerbated in recent years by the movement towards a more individualistic and less communitarian society, so maybe homelessness is inevitable within capitalism.

Very sad news.

Andy Straw
Dunedin