[bluecardigans]

Did anyone catch the Four Corners episode this week? Very, very sad. Watching those two gorgeous babies sleep in a car every night was heartbreaking.

Four corners. You can watch it on iview.

This post has been edited by Display anemone: 15/02/2013, 03:09 PM

[Lucretia Borgia]

yes I watched it, utterly depressing. I think families here might end up slightly (ever so slightly) better off, as we do have a bit more of a welfare safety net than the States. But only by a slight margin and I dare say there are families here who would have similar stories to tell.

I felt so sorry for that poor woman, going for the job interview with her kids, they were over it and mucking up, in the end she was over it and walked out - and I bet there would be unfeeling people out there who would then label her a quitter

It really upset me and I couldnt sleep very well on Monday night...having said that I do recommend people watch it - its something we all need to see.

This post has been edited by Lucretia Borgia: 15/02/2013, 03:24 PM

[TwiceThe Woman]

OMG - it is shocking.....
In the "great land of opportunity" there are 47.5 MILLION people on or below the poverty line.
Words fail me.
That young couple with their two children.....
oh, and the man who didn't want to "impose" on his friends any longer to have a shower..........ummm, I asked myself why don't his friends give him a room? Even a garage would be better and safer than living out of a car.
The good ol' US of A is toppling off it's pedestal. It is truely heartbreaking.

[Bacongirl]

It is quite scary to visit LA now (and other areas) and see so many homeless on the steeets.

I mean the US has always had problems with homelessness, but it is getting really bad. I remember the drive from the airport to our hotel and going under one of those giant overpasses and there must have been 50 people living under there.

The US has never been a country that helps it's poorest people. Sure they can claim unemployment, but you need an address to send a cheque to, and no home, means no address. Hundreds of families falling through the cracks

And the lobbyists are so good at scaremongering and spending millions on scaring the people into believing that the suggested Medicare system (as propsed by Obama) would be an invasion of their rights. I had US friends (who I thought were intelligent) tell me that it was just a way for the government to collect more data about them and tax them 50% or more They absolutely could not comprehend the idea of relatively free medical services for all residents like we have here, nor that we didn't pay that much more in taxes than they did.

[OnePinkStar]

I watched it, it was heartbreaking.

Whilst our welfare system is far from perfect, it is a lot better than what those poor people are getting.

It really highlights why we need a strong safety net for those who find themselves unemployed or under employed.

[LambChop]

More heart breaking than watching, is being there and seeing for yourself... definitely makes you realise how lucky we are in Australia to have choices.

[bluecardigans]

It blew me away that it was so common that contingencies had been set up such as the opening of the car parks for families to park in overnight while they slept in their cars. How on earth do you raise productive adults in a car?

[TwiceThe Woman]

With good family relationships & attitudes being crucial to good mental health, I feel (hope) that the young couple will "make it" once / if, they get employment. They seem to have a good attitude towards each other and about it all.
I like that the church opens it's car park at night, turns the lights out, then locks the carpark and keeps it supervised overnight - at least this means that the couples could sleep better & and are secure while they sleep. I'd guess that they let them use the bathrooms in the morning too.
Good practical use of church property.
Great attitudes from those people who supervise.

[JJ]

Just watched it, thanks for the link. I've seen a few similar shows previously.

I have some US friends who are in these situations (online friends but have known them all for 10+ years) - no one is homeless at this point, but living in a tiny flat with a bunch of kids (in pictures it looks a lot like that first motel room in the doco), another one looking at living in a trailer, no medical care even though some of them are really unwell (if worse comes to the worst, they'll go to an ER and end up with a huge bill), no health insurance also means no intervention/help for kids with special needs, and they're always just one small, unexpected thing away from losing everything. Unless there are relatives who can help out a little, there is no safety net. No family + something bad happens = you're well and truly on your own and royally screwed.

I think if things don't change for the better, it may well result in all-out war. It's exactly the kind of situation that is an ideal breeding ground for very radical views and actions. I find the whole thing incredibly troubling. It's a time bomb.

[bluecardigans]

I like that the church opens it's car park at night, turns the lights out, then locks the carpark and keeps it supervised overnight - at least this means that the couples could sleep better & and are secure while they sleep. I'd guess that they let them use the bathrooms in the morning too.
Good practical use of church property.
Great attitudes from those people who supervise.

Of course, without a doubt. It is just so sad that there are so many families sleeping in their cars in one area that they can fill an entire car park.