> Statements assuming they are all, without exception, clearly and obviously sicker (and "ickier") than all other people, without exception, due to being homeless is not one of them.
It was not my intent to cast people experiencing homelessness in a bad light, but I won't apologize for my words just because they weren't received in the spirit I intended them (I know you didn't ask for an apology, just throwing it out there). My point was that by definition homeless folks don't have equal access to facilities that non-homeless folk do, and have greater exposure to specific health risks. I didn't say this to be mean or hateful, I stated my current understanding of the situation many people find themselves in. Understanding a situation is the first step towards improving it. That requires talking about things that might make some people uncomfortable.
I strongly disagree with the manner in which jimbob45 was immediately shut down (and subsequently accused of casting homeless folks as "subhuman") for making a statement that quite frankly, wasn't wrong. Not only was his advice not wrong, but it could save lives if someone didn't know any better. It upsets me to see people get beat up over innocent comments that other people take offense to because they assume maliciousness. I saw zero maliciousness in his comment, and in fact it appeared as someone simply giving sound advice.
No malice aforethought is required for careless words to perpetuate harmful and ignorant stereotypes that help make already hard problems all the more intractable for people whose lives already suck.
When your words are not received in the spirit you intended in a text only environment, working on finding the right words is typically the most effective approach to remedying the matter.
I wrote what I wrote previously because I'm on your side and a writer by trade. I still blog about homelessness at times. Searching for the right words to adequately convey meaning is something I spend a lot of time on and put a lot of work into.
It was not my intent to cast people experiencing homelessness in a bad light, but I won't apologize for my words just because they weren't received in the spirit I intended them (I know you didn't ask for an apology, just throwing it out there). My point was that by definition homeless folks don't have equal access to facilities that non-homeless folk do, and have greater exposure to specific health risks. I didn't say this to be mean or hateful, I stated my current understanding of the situation many people find themselves in. Understanding a situation is the first step towards improving it. That requires talking about things that might make some people uncomfortable.
I strongly disagree with the manner in which jimbob45 was immediately shut down (and subsequently accused of casting homeless folks as "subhuman") for making a statement that quite frankly, wasn't wrong. Not only was his advice not wrong, but it could save lives if someone didn't know any better. It upsets me to see people get beat up over innocent comments that other people take offense to because they assume maliciousness. I saw zero maliciousness in his comment, and in fact it appeared as someone simply giving sound advice.