BetheButterfly Posted December 3, 2012 Posted December 3, 2012 Hello, I just read the following article, and it made me want to cry. I don't understand why this homeless man doesn't change his life. He does have people who care for him... (I boldened some.) Homeless man grateful for boots, but barefoot again | The Lookout - Yahoo! News "The homeless man who was photographed being given a pair of boots by a New York City police officer in Times Square on a bitterly cold night last month was spotted on the Upper West Side on Sunday. And he was once again barefoot. "Those shoes are hidden," Jeffrey Hillman, the 54-year-old homeless man, told the New York Times. "They are worth a lot of money—I could lose my life." On Nov. 14, NYPD officer Lawrence DePrimo, who was on counterterrorism duty in Times Square, saw Hillman without shoes sitting on 42nd Street. DePrimo, 25, left and then returned with a pair of $100 boots he bought at a nearby Skechers store, knelt down and gave them to Hillman. The random act of kindness was captured on camera by an Arizona tourist, who emailed the photo to the NYPD. It was then posted on the NYPD's Facebook page and soon went viral, generating more than 600,000 "likes," 47,000 comments and countless warmed hearts. Hillman—an Army veteran and estranged father of two who said he's spent about 10 years homeless in New York—told the Times he did not remember the photo being taken, but was aware of the attention it's received. "I was put on YouTube," he told the paper. "I was put on everything without permission. What do I get? This went around the world, and I want a piece of the pie." "I appreciate what the officer did, don't get me wrong," Hillman added. "I wish there were more people like him in the world." Hillman's brother Kirk lives in Nazareth, Pa., and according to the Daily Mail had not heard from since January. "We love our brother very much," Kirk Hillman told the Daily News. "Our door is always open to him, but this is a lifestyle he's chosen." Why in the world doesn't this homeless man change? Does he like being homeless and barefoot in the cold? I don't understand. Do you think it's ethical to try to force a person to change for their own safety/health? I personal don't think it's ethical, but I fail to understand why a person would want to be miserable and not experience love and life to the fullest. What do you think? Why doesn't he make the change? Other people can only help so much. If a person doesn't want to change, what good is it to even give him a pair of boots, if he isn't even going to wear them to keep his feet warm, and go to a place where he won't get hurt for wearing them??? How can people help motivate homeless people to get out of the gutter and into love and a healthy lifestyle???
ImperfectionisBeauty Posted December 3, 2012 Posted December 3, 2012 Some people are just too proud to ask for help. I would assume that might be this mans issue but you can never know.
Ross MwcFan Posted December 3, 2012 Posted December 3, 2012 It's not ethical at all, no one has the right to force another person into a different lifestyle they don't want or to do something they don't want to do, just because they think it'll be good for them.
Author BetheButterfly Posted December 3, 2012 Author Posted December 3, 2012 It's not ethical at all, no one has the right to force another person into a different lifestyle they don't want or to do something they don't want to do, just because they think it'll be good for them. Should he just be left to suffer with cold feet and maybe even get frostbite? Lawrence DePrimo did a wonderful thing by getting him boots to wear. However, it didn't do any good since the homeless man isn't wearing them, nor did the homeless man do a wise thing: tell the DePrimo that he would be afraid for his life if he wore them, and if he could sell them and get less expensive yet still warm boots to wear. I agree it's not ethical, but why does he want to hurt himself like this? Does he want to die or is his brain simply not functioning? If his brain is not functioning well, is it ethical to allow a person who is mentally challenged for whatever reason to endure being homeless and in cold temperatures with nothing warm on their feet? Have to go now.
Nightsky Posted December 3, 2012 Posted December 3, 2012 Why in the world doesn't this homeless man change? Does he like being homeless and barefoot in the cold? I don't understand. Do you think it's ethical to try to force a person to change for their own safety/health? I personal don't think it's ethical, but I fail to understand why a person would want to be miserable and not experience love and life to the fullest. What do you think? Why doesn't he make the change? Other people can only help so much. If a person doesn't want to change, what good is it to even give him a pair of boots, if he isn't even going to wear them to keep his feet warm, and go to a place where he won't get hurt for wearing them??? How can people help motivate homeless people to get out of the gutter and into love and a healthy lifestyle??? I can only make guesses. Firstly what he said is true, the boots could get him killed. He hid them and if his feet are about to freeze off he'll probably put them back on. I'm not homeless and I was already well aware that you can get killed over a nice pair of shoes in the bad part of town. As for why he doesn't just get a job or live with his family... He's probably gone insane. Also men can have a lot of pride. Some times its less humiliating to live in the streets with strangers than to have your family see you be such a loser. No it's not ethical to force any one to do anything unless its putting them behind bars because they're a killer or something violent like that.
hotgurl Posted December 3, 2012 Posted December 3, 2012 you don't know why this guy is on the street. He could be mentally ill and have addiction issues. And yes it is hard to change. Some people prefer to stay the way they are. I know someone who is schizophrenia. She was medicated but when under medication she could remember how she was before the illness compared to how she is now and is was horribly depressing. She choose to be unmediated. And trust me she doesn't give a crap if she sleeps on the streets or in a house with no heat. and no it is not ethical to force someone into a different lifestyle.
SmileFace Posted December 3, 2012 Posted December 3, 2012 Most of these people are mentally insane. Wanting to take help is the last thing on their minds. 1
crude Posted December 4, 2012 Posted December 4, 2012 Every year 2.6 million Americans die. If he becomes one of them, tough. That's life. Some people are self destructive or hopeless. There's help out there, he just doesn't want to change. It's not your business.
seren Posted December 4, 2012 Posted December 4, 2012 Maybe his life in the normal world with pressures, stressors and the rules just became too much. Maybe he lost his home, his family, maybe he thinks this is all he deserves, maybe he saw things as a vet that pushed him away from other people and maybe he just wants to live on the streets. No One really knows and those that haven't experienced what he can understand. Sometimes people just get to the absolute bottom of the pit and cannot see the light and sometimes people just don't want to live as other's do. Whatever it is for this man, he chooses it, presumably. As long as people have choices and are enabled to make those choices it is up to them. Maybe a pair of socks would have been better, who knows. Whatever the reason is, the policeman was doing a lovely thing, a random act of kindness is always a wonderful thing, shame the press picked up on it and it is being analysed. Not all homeless people are mentally ill, bums or alcoholics and drug addicts, some are just sick of the rat race and some are victims of circumstance. 1
Anela Posted December 4, 2012 Posted December 4, 2012 When we lived in Citrus Heights, there was a homeless woman who hung around a food store that my parents frequented. My mother wanted to give her money, but she would only ever accept cigarettes, and she kept her few belongings in a shopping cart. I've also heard that anything valuable, like a nice pair of shoes, will be stolen - hell, I've heard about several incidences not far from here, where someone who isn't homeless, has been robbed by a group of guys. They decide they want something they see on someone else, and they go for it. I've had a few times this year, when I realized how easily someone could end up on the streets, when I just ran during huge arguments - just the other night (Saturday), I got lost when I ran in a different direction. As I run/walk, I calm down and end up coming home, but over a week ago, it felt so much better to be out in the woods with my torch, coat and book, than it did to be here. Once I'd calmed down, after talking to my dad (who found me out there), it felt good to be home, with my dogs, warm and showered.
Ross MwcFan Posted December 4, 2012 Posted December 4, 2012 Should he just be left to suffer with cold feet and maybe even get frostbite? Lawrence DePrimo did a wonderful thing by getting him boots to wear. However, it didn't do any good since the homeless man isn't wearing them, nor did the homeless man do a wise thing: tell the DePrimo that he would be afraid for his life if he wore them, and if he could sell them and get less expensive yet still warm boots to wear. I agree it's not ethical, but why does he want to hurt himself like this? Does he want to die or is his brain simply not functioning? If his brain is not functioning well, is it ethical to allow a person who is mentally challenged for whatever reason to endure being homeless and in cold temperatures with nothing warm on their feet? Have to go now. No harm in offering other methods of help, one of them might appeal to him. But if this is how he wants to live, then he should be allowed to do so, he's a grown adult.
Author BetheButterfly Posted December 4, 2012 Author Posted December 4, 2012 Maybe his life in the normal world with pressures, stressors and the rules just became too much. Maybe he lost his home, his family, maybe he thinks this is all he deserves, maybe he saw things as a vet that pushed him away from other people and maybe he just wants to live on the streets. No One really knows and those that haven't experienced what he can understand. Sometimes people just get to the absolute bottom of the pit and cannot see the light and sometimes people just don't want to live as other's do. Whatever it is for this man, he chooses it, presumably. As long as people have choices and are enabled to make those choices it is up to them. Maybe a pair of socks would have been better, who knows. I read in another article that the policeman gave him a pair of socks too. Whatever the reason is, the policeman was doing a lovely thing, a random act of kindness is always a wonderful thing, shame the press picked up on it and it is being analysed. Not all homeless people are mentally ill, bums or alcoholics and drug addicts, some are just sick of the rat race and some are victims of circumstance. 100% agree; the policeman is a hero, in my eyes. Yeah, I have heard of cases of people living in their cars. It's awesome when people help them out; many homeless people are also victims of natural disasters or in other countries, are refugees who have lost their homes due to war and the cruelty of others who don't care for them.
somedude81 Posted December 5, 2012 Posted December 5, 2012 I read in another article that the policeman gave him a pair of socks too. 100% agree; the policeman is a hero, in my eyes. Yeah, I have heard of cases of people living in their cars. It's awesome when people help them out; many homeless people are also victims of natural disasters or in other countries, are refugees who have lost their homes due to war and the cruelty of others who don't care for them. Some homeless people are ordinary men and women who experienced something bad and lost everything. Another group are the mentally ill who can't function in normal society. Barefoot guy is one such example. 1
BasilGrieve Posted December 8, 2012 Posted December 8, 2012 Taking help from someone is not at all wrong. Some people do have ego (even I have it), but it should not become a hindrance for taking help. Taking basic help which can lead you to work hard in your life and achieve your goals is not against ego.
FitChick Posted December 9, 2012 Posted December 9, 2012 They used to put mentally ill people into mental hospitals for their own and the public's safety. It got too expensive. Cheaper to give them drugs. If someone isn't mentally ill, then their own beliefs are keeping them stuck. They need to eliminate them with a technique I used to talk about on here until I got a warning. It's much more effective and cheaper than conventional therapy, drug free, and takes a fraction of the time. Anyone can PM me for more info.
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