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Re:The mean streets of San Francisco by maxklein on Thursday May 27, 2010 @06:09AM (#1383182)
The disconnect between the world we are living in and the streets is huge. That's why I hesitate to pass judgment on other people - I don't know how they have been shaped by their society, and perhaps if I went through the same process they went through, I would also have their viewpoints.

It's like people who listen to rap passing judgment on country music or vice versa. These represent different lifestyles and approaches to life. None is wrong - brought up in one circumstance, you would sing the one and in another the other.

Re:The mean streets of San Francisco by bia on Thursday May 27, 2010 @10:56AM (#1383799)
Yes, one shouldn't pass judgement on homeless people, but the music analogy doesn't hold.

I presume that, whether you listen to country or rap, there is some degree of choice in your actions. So many homeless people end up on the streets because of mental illness or domestic violence -- things that are absolutely out of their control.

So instead, at least for me, it is difficult to see and accept homelessness as an alternative lifestyle. It requires a different level of empathy.