But Slobodan, they have always existed and everybody knows that...
... I agree with much he says, violently disagree with some he says...
And exactly how is it that "everybody knows" that? That is exactly the part I am disputing. Without seeing it in photographs, TV, movies?
If you are not well travelled, you chances of seeing it in person are slim. And remember, in contrast to the two of us, most Americans have never ventured beyond their county (no, not 'country,' but indeed 'county' and even city). Here, in Chicago, in the areas of the city I (and my daughter) walk around, you will definitely not see it. A few panhandlers, perhaps, but even that is a rare sight, quickly removed by the police. In the areas they congregate, I do not dare to go, especially not with with my daughter. So, how would she know about it? Even in our little suburban middle-class haven, 40 miles outside of Chicago, there was only
one guy, whose existence, tolerated for years by the city, served to perpetuate the illusion that it is an isolated case. So, my daughter is growing up seeing exactly one (1) real-life case. And to make things worse, he was the type you like to believe is the norm, rather than exception: he appeared to have chosen that life deliberately, probably due to border-case mental issues.
So, once again, how is she going to know the true story of homelessness in America? Which is far, far, from the self-imposed or deserved as you choose to believe.