A proposed housing facility in Wichita for homeless veterans could be a great addition to our community. The Department of Veterans Affairs is considering building the facility on the grounds of the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center. About 1 in 5 homeless people in Wichita are veterans, and our country needs to do more to help those who served it. The proposed facility could fit well with the city and county initiative to combat chronic homelessness by moving people into permanent housing with intensive support services.
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64 Comments
BUT …. BUT…. BUT, a veteran is only home-less because they want to live under a bridge or sleep on a grate. I heard that from some one on cable TV! He even asked for someone to show him a home-less veteran and no one did. So he was right he said.
Once you get out of the stream of funds it’s hard to get back in. It takes almost a thousand dollars to rent a studio, pay a deposit and make utility deposits. It takes money to work a job. A catch-22 cycle that can pull you down fast.
Ah yes, because we have seen the success of such programs in liberal cities in California or elsewhere who pride themselves on housing the homeless?
Oh wait… that’s right, those cities simply turn into the latest travel destination for homeless people to flock to so they can hang out.
Just what wichita needs…. Yeah right.
We should be ashamed that anyone in this country goes without shelter.
BJ,
So why don’t you invite them over to your home then?
I guess you are not “that” ashamed…
Wow Nathan is even against homeless shelters for veterans. Seriously dude, how low can you go?
How do you know I haven’t or wouldn’t Nathaniel?
There is no lack of shelter in this country. What we are short on is compassion and a sense of societal obligation.
I’m proud to say that my grandmother and grandfather (WW2 vet) have been leaders in our community for years to help injured and homeless veterans. They’re getting too old, and there is nobody to come and pick up where they will leave off.
I can’t do it, I’m not a veteran, and their program is for veterans and current military.
I so do hope someone steps in, they have probably given millions over the years *through fundraising* to the VA programs.
I hate to see that end. I so hope Wichita is chosen to house these veterans.
BlueJay,
“How do you know I haven’t or wouldn’t Nathaniel?”
Because you just admitted it with this answer.
We have to forgive Nathan, his mind aint right. We have to show him the same compassion that we do for others who are sick from war.
Political_Mama,
So how many homeless people do you have living in your home right now?
Typcial liberals.
Compassion is something you have with your own resources, not others.
It is not “compassion” to support using other peoples money and resources to provide something to others you are not willing to do yourself.
“We have to show him the same compassion that we do for others who are sick from war.”
Nathaniel may be sickER because of war.
His lack of human compassion is a taught trait.
Actually Nathaniel, I have helped a number of people with shelter.
Kudos to your stepmother for giving you space in her basement.
BJ,
How many homeless people do you have living in your home right now? How many homeless people know they can stop by to have a place to stay right now?
Helping homeless people into a shelter you didn’t pay for and are not supporting doesn’t count.
When I say I have helped people with shelter I am referring to my own home.
Nathaniel? Do we have a lack of available shelter in this country?
Are most churches somehow uninhabitable except for a few hours Sunday morning?
BJ,
I didn’t ask if you had helped “people” with shelter. Hell, everyone has done that before.
I asked if you have had “homeless” people in your home.
Why don’t you have any living there now?
“Hell, everyone has done that before.”
You have? And your church? Is it in use other than a few hours on Sunday morning?
“Political_mama” notes –
“…Nathan is even against homeless shelters for veterans. Seriously dude, how low can you go?”
A moment to plug my newest favorite movie. Put “Taking Chance” on your Netflix queue.
It’s a moving story about a real Marine, the real Corps, about honor and tradition and ritual.
In other words, a far cry from the arrogant ignorance the boy parades in this forum. His comments up-thread insult his uniform, his nation, and his species.
The people whining the most are not Veterans. Imagine that…
I think the latest figures show about 26,000,000 veterans in the U.S., less than ten percent of the population.
No way for me to confirm the “1 out of 5″ veterans are homeless. From my personal experience and veterans I’ve met, I would say the number is much lower.
Of course, I don’t hang around the druggies and the mentally ill types, perhaps mental health numbers might give a more accurate picture.
It would be a good thing to build the facility on Edgemoore though. Consolidation of facilities is good to keep track of management issues.
BlueJay,
Why yes, I have helped “people” with shelter before. So does my church. I have not been to a Church which hasn’t helped people in many different ways beyond helping them with shelter.
Most churhes are not designed or built to be living quarters. They are places of worship and are used throughout the week from Saturday services, Sunday services, Evening services, WEdnesday night services, weekly bible studies, small group meetings…etc…etc…etc…
Your notion that a church is only used on a Sunday is absurd.
Nathan,
Assuming at some point you manage to alienate your stepmother, just like you’ve alienated nearly everyone on this blog, and lose that precious cellar, what would keep you off the grates and out from under the bridges?
I rather doubt Political Mom or Blue Jay (who are both aware of your unstable and dangerous tendencies) would want you around their loved ones.
You’ve already stated that you can’t count on your church to house you. Where will you go? Maybe you ought to pray that the VA does open such a shelter here, as you may be one of their first clients!
Nathaniel
Posted June 21, 2009 at 12:44 pm | Permalink
BlueJay,
Why yes, I have helped “people” with shelter before.
———————————————-
Why the quotation marks? Are you inferring that homeless people aren’t human?
Just put some old Army barracks including a chow hall and some porta-johnnys over between the new downtown Intrust Arena and the adjacent railroad tracks. Don’t be too tight on veteran credentials which I expect are suspect in some cases of homeless individuals. (A camoflage field jacket is not adequate proof.) And provide a walking path to the Lord’s Diner for evening meals for Arena attendees and homeless people.
JWink
Posted June 21, 2009 at 9:40 pm | Permalink
Just put some old Army barracks including a chow hall and some porta-johnnys over between the new downtown Intrust Arena and the adjacent railroad tracks. Don’t be too tight on veteran credentials which I expect are suspect in some cases of homeless individuals. (A camoflage field jacket is not adequate proof.) And provide a walking path to the Lord’s Diner for evening meals for Arena attendees and homeless people
========================
Three “hots and a cot” is all some people want.
Jed,
It is called work. I work to provide for myself. I have nothing to worry about. I never said my church wouldn’t help either, I said they wouldn’t house people in the building it’s self as BJ seems to think they should and if they don’t are not really helping people…
Thanks for your concern though.
So his church is a sanctuary only on Sunday mornings for people who have homes and money. Got it.
BJ,
Already responded to your nonsense earlier.
Here is it again, since you obviously missed it:
Nathaniel
Posted June 21, 2009 at 12:44 pm | Permalink
BlueJay,
Why yes, I have helped “people” with shelter before. So does my church. I have not been to a Church which hasn’t helped people in many different ways beyond helping them with shelter.
Most churhes are not designed or built to be living quarters. They are places of worship and are used throughout the week from Saturday services, Sunday services, Evening services, WEdnesday night services, weekly bible studies, small group meetings…etc…etc…etc…
Your notion that a church is only used on a Sunday is absurd.
Nathan,
Well, I’m sure your Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and evening services, your bible studies, small group meetings etc.. etc.. etc.. are ever so much more important to life than some poor veterans freezing to death on the street. Better go pray!
Jed,
I see you are a student of the same reading impaired school BJ is a member of.
Jed,
I have posted it twice now… but one more time just for you:
“Why yes, I have helped “people” with shelter before. So does my church. I have not been to a Church which hasn’t helped people in many different ways beyond helping them with shelter.”
Nathan,
Yeah, I’ve lived in the neighborhoods and seen the token “help” churches offer. Not all churches, mind you- the Mennonites do a very good job, and the Methodists and a few others do what they can- but most manage to do just barely enough to say they do something. They spend more on their minister’s wardrobe. I forget- how many gold Oystershell Rolexes did Jesus Own?
Jed,
I see you offer nothing more than your typical anecdotal experiences and stereotypes.
I have been a member of many different churches all over the country. I have also worked with many more in some capacity. I have also visited many churches all over the country.
Your characterization of “most” churches is complete and total BS.
Nathan,
If “most” churches did what they claim to do, we wouldn’t need a welfare system.
As for my “anecdotal experiences,” at least they are real experiences and not the PR some church puts out to raise even more money to buy politicians with.
While I am aware that there are a few churches that actually do help people, I find myself struggling against a willing suspension of disbelief to imagine that Nathaniel could ever be a part of them.
“Nathaniel’s” contempt (up-thread) for homeless veterans speaks for itself.
It’s the classic CON meme:
The “I got mine! Everyone else go to hell!” mind-set.
It’s so “Jesus-y,” when you think about it.
Lets see…
Number of liberals here who have enough “compassion” to talk about using other peoples money to help the homesless = FOUR.
Number of liberals here who have enough compassion to actually help the homeless by taking them into their own homes = ZERO.
Compassion is something you do with your own time, your own money, and your own resources. It isn’t something you do with other peoples.
Let me know when any of you are opening up your own homes to the “homeless” and then we can talk about how much compassion you have.
“It would be a good thing to build the facility on Edgemoore though. Consolidation of facilities is good to keep track of management issues.”
Why yes, this is what the federal government does best!
Suppressing laughter here…
Taking others into our homes doesn’t necessarily provide the base the homeless need to re-establish their lives. JWink’s “3 hots and a cot” is a good start. They also need access to transportation, clean clothing and sometimes education. It’s easier to loose everything than to gain a new start.
Jed
Posted June 22, 2009 at 2:13 am | Permalink
Nathan,
If “most” churches did what they claim to do, we wouldn’t need a welfare system.
As for my “anecdotal experiences,” at least they are real experiences and not the PR some church puts out to raise even more money to buy politicians with.
————-
Jed when you make a statement like this then you should be prepared to defend it. What churches have raised money to ‘buy politicians with’?
You need to let us know and also share this information with the IRS. If it is just leftwing BS then you need to let us know that also.
Can’t begin to list the number of churches in our city that have donated mountains of food, clothing, furniture, set people up in their own apartments, donated time to fix up homes of the elderly and handicapped, etc…
I’ll wait for the backup for your statement.
#
StevenEDavis
Posted June 22, 2009 at 10:25 am | Permalink
“It would be a good thing to build the facility on Edgemoore though. Consolidation of facilities is good to keep track of management issues.”
Why yes, this is what the federal government does best!
Suppressing laughter here…
——————-
Okay genius, where would you put homeless Veterans?
Regular,
Well, we know that those liberals won’t put them in their own homes. But they will complain about the churches… and talk about “their” compassion though.
Meanwhile nearly every church in town is donating money, food, time, and resources to local charities and food banks. People from those churches are donating their time and resources to help others all across the community.
Granny,
You know as well as I do that churches have raised money for politicians. The church’s lawyers found ways to skirt the IRS regs in some cases, and others were simply blatently disregarding the law, knowing that Bushco wouldn’t prosecute as long as it was for ‘publicans. A few are now stripped of their tax-exemption and many more are being investigated. Good luck!
A little hint- those “mountains” of food, old clothing and junk furniture don’t begin to fill the need. Kids, for some reason want to eat every day, not just the day the food bank is open.
“Number of liberals here who have enough compassion to actually help the homeless by taking them into their own homes = ZERO.”
It seems that in addition to Nathaniel’s lack of compassion, he also has difficulties with reading comprehension.
“Nathaniel” –
I have a standing offer of bed and board to anyone who shoots your dog.
But don’t take that literally, “Nathaniel” –
Taking what I say literally doesn’t mean you can literally take every word literally.
Jed,
You seem as if you wish the Churches would stop helping the homeless and poor.
Are you that ungrateful?
Jed
Posted June 22, 2009 at 2:21 pm | Permalink
Granny,
You know as well as I do that churches have raised money for politicians.
———–
Nice try Jed when you have squat – just your own deluded thinking.
Ck out some of those who give food. Catholic Charities and His Helping Hands give a weeks worth of groceries to families. That way they can eat every day.
You are just hot air spewing your own hatred and doing nothing to help those in need. Words don’t put meat on the bones so you and BJ should be out volunteering to feed someone in need.
Then and only then can you talk about others you don’t think do enough.
Ant,
After taking neighbors to varous local foodbanks (way too far away to have to walk on a summer day in Kansas) and seeing the pitiful little bags of macaroni and cheese mix and that one ubiquitous can of outdated mackarel and a loaf of stale bread- maybe enough for two make-do meals, and seeing them told to come back in two weeks, I don’t see all that much to be grateful for.
I don’t want to see churches stop- I want to see them start!
Jed,
Tell me a story about when you took them to a job interview, or gave them enough food to live on for a few months.
Monkeyhawk posted June 22, 2009 at 2:35 pm
But don’t take that literally, “Nathaniel” –
Taking what I say literally doesn’t mean you can literally take every word literally.
———————
LOL!
Very well said, Monkeyhawk.
food, old clothing and junk furniture don’t begin to fill the need
============================
I think being ungrateful of free schitt is part of the problem.
#
ANTI
Posted June 22, 2009 at 3:00 pm | Permalink
Jed,
Tell me a story about when you took them to a job interview, or gave them enough food to live on for a few months.
—————————-
I always get that story confused with the one about the fishes and loaves.
ChimpBrains,
Bribing someone with room and board to shoot my dog is a criminal offense.
Yet another liberal encouraging and advocating violence and breaking the law.
You don’t even have enough balls to do it yourself even… sad… really sad.
Jed,
I don’t know what food banks you go to, but the ones I have had a part in helping stock are a far cry from what you describe. They have all types of canned and dry foods. Some even have frozen meats to some degree.
Nevermind the people that the various churches I have been a member of who directly are helped by the church by the church delivering food to their homes.
Yet again, you live in your own little isolated stereotypical world built on anecdotal stories and no facts or evidence.
BlueJay,
Really? So how many homeless people do you have living with you now? This year?
BlueJay,
Do you advertise with the local shelters and homeless community that your house is open to them?
While I believe the local churches do much for the “working poor”, the homeless in general are unable for various reasons to access these services. Of course, the Lord’s Diner, Open Door, etc. are centrally located and a life saver of many on the streets, I also know of churches that have physically moved away from the city center to get away from street people. The churches can always do more.. I sent out letters to over 100 locals with a plan for setting up adoptive housing for the homeless. The costs would not be prohibitive for a church, and all churches have “missions and benevolence” funds… but I got ZERO responses. A compassionate “family” such as a church group is a critical ingredient to these folks successfully getting off the street. And yes… we OWE our veterans much more than they receive, and the statistics are correct. They are over represented in the homeless population!
Samkan,
Just one question.
How many homeless do you currently have living in your home?
This year?
Nathan….
5.. not in my home, but in homes I have purchased for them.
I have worked with Habitat for Humanity on many projects.
The boy has chosen, instead, to pray.
Many support missions in their churches and that is wonderful. Not everyone can deal with the poor and homeless on a daily basis. It does help when those that can’t, financially and prayerfully support those that do.
“samkan”–
“Financial” help, I can respect and appreciate.
But what about “prayerful” support?
How does that work exactly?
If it’s true “God has a plan for your life,” did God plan for 6-year-old Susie getting creamed by an SUV as she was learning to ride her bike?
Thanks a lot, “God,” for that.
Or does “God” draw up these rough drafts for each of us and, if enough people pray or one person says the right prayer, “God” decided to amend the “plan for your life?”
“God” sits at his desk and all these prayers or one particular prayer gets his attention and he decides to not kill Susie but let her grow up to become an advocate for wheelchair rights?
Pretty lame “God” sometimes, if you ask me.
I mean, He did some good stuff with butterflies and lightning bugs but must have been drunk when he created the duckbill platypus.
Hey, everyone’s entitled to a down day. But I’ve seen some of the consequences of the 5th Day in Genesis and, contrary to “God’s” opinion, His work wasn’t all that “good.” Like the dodo bird; that was a joke, right?
Pray all you want for Susie to recover and medal in the Olympics. But that’s not the way to bet. (And, if there’s gonna be a chance in the world for that to happen, you might have to reconsider your prayers for frozen fetuses.)
Any “God” who planned that out ahead should be writing soap operas, not scripture.
Any “God” who changes His “Susie-Gets-Creamed-by-an-SUV” script on the basis of
pollsprayers might be working above His pay grade.I just remembered a bumper sticker I saw back in the 70s. When there were bumpers.
–
GOD IS AN UNDER-ACHIEVER
Prayer is for the faithful and those that understand God. You are neither Monkey, so my comment did not apply to you. The persistent prayers of a righteous man can move God, but sometimes the answer is no.