American Thinker:
Among President Donald J. Trump’s (R) inspiring guests at his State of the Union address was Albuquerque Police Officer Ryan Holets and his wife Rebecca, who adopted a little girl they, significantly, named Hope. While on duty Holets encountered a pregnant, heroin addicted woman, Crystal Champ, about to shoot up. Imploring her not to shoot up while pregnant he offered to adopt the baby. He then worked with Champ and her partner, presumably the father, to get her into rehab but, as CNN reported last month, it was rough going.
After their story was reported, a number of substance abuse treatment centers offered to help Champ and Key. Holets, who received a city award for his actions, has tried to convince them to take advantage of this opportunity to get the help they need.
This week, CNN found Champ and Key living with a friend in a ramshackle RV park and explained how a number of treatment centers had offered to help her get into a rehab program.
But the grip of heroin is so fierce that she has struggled to accept the offer.
“I really don’t have a desire to get clean, and that sucks, because I really want to,” she said. After a long pause, she added, “but I don’t.”
Champ said she knows how difficult it is to get clean. A rehab program worked once before, but a year later she relapsed, which led to her current life, homeless for two years.
“I’m scared I’ll get clean and not find the comfort that I find in my life like this,” she said.
They are Hobo’s, we have always had Hobo’s, calling them “homeless” is like calling sexual deviants “gay”.
Because of the open borders cheap drugs have flooded in here like never before.
More yearly deaths than both guns and automobiles from overdoses,
yet the left finds this acceptable.
Unlike a lot of the faux mental issues we modern/progressive humans allow ourselves to suffer from addiction is both a physical and mental imbalance fed/fueled by artificial causes/symptoms.
Our bodies and minds continue to struggle to find a substance (or behavior) that can replace or restore something that is missing in our normal physical and mental make-up.
Some substances and actions cause immediate reactions that increase the likelihood of repetition while others require a little practice (or alteration of body to assimilate a new chemical state).
Sadly, while most addicts will admit they would love to not have the addiction they will admit the cost of not having it far exceeds the cost of having it.
It works much like the nastiest side effect of treatment for serious depression: the risk of suicide is higher when treatment begins to work and the person swears they never want to feel depressed again and that killing themselves is way one to guarantee it.
Unless society is willing to seriously address the issue of giving/mandating treatment against the wishes of an individual (this includes addiction/mental illness) even and especially when no lives are in danger we’ll hear of people like this.
It is our national nightmare that has not/will not be addressed.
“I’m scared I’ll get clean and not find the comfort that I find in my life like this,” – Your brain on drugs, any questions?
Heaven forbid she were to become a responsible adult.
Crystal, get it together. You are making it too easy for hateful bigots like Bret Stephens…
“Bottom line: So-called real Americans are screwing up America. Maybe they should leave, so that we can replace them with new and better ones: newcomers who are more appreciative of what the United States has to offer, more ambitious for themselves and their children, and more willing to sacrifice for the future. In other words, just the kind of people we used to be — when “we” had just come off the boat.”
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/opinion/only-mass-deportation-can-save-america.html?referer=https://www.google.com/
Txn,
These aren’t hobos; those guys were often mobile and usually willing to work for a handout. I’m not sure what these people are (human wreckage?) but hobo is too high class a label.
Change your laws so that mandatory rehab for the first, second and third possesion offenses becomes law. Use the rehab as well as isolating them from the world that causes relapses and use the rehab method that shows the best results. A forth offense admits them to a controlled facility where they can have all the drugs they want until they die. A person who is caught pushing this individual hell upon another is executed. OR, BUILD THE DAMN WALL. Oh, and still execute people caught pushing this poisen.
Apparently there is a yearning in the human soul to live without responsibility for anything. To accept the happenstance of what happens instead of the travails of developing a sense of self agency and acting in ones own best interest.
Drugs facilitate this.
Happenstance of life.. instead of what happens.
Sry
As I write this,I am watching homeless advocates provisioning bums.
My deceased ex-brother-in-law was in and out of rehab and on and off the street more times than I can remember. He finally told my sister-in-law that he didn’t want to live a normal life and divorced her. We got a death certificate in the mail a few uea
“I want to – – but I don’t” Must be a liberal.
Part of it is that God sized hole everyone of us has that if not filled, causes great discontentment and a propensity to become deluded and drawn to false gods/idols/beliefs/cults/predators.
The individual addict is still responsible and must deal with and counter the consequences of one’s actions. Everyone of us, unless we are delusional (if you are human even a preoccupation for self-control can be addictive (smile) and dangerous).
I was a smoker for 20 years and discovered how much control it exerts over your life (not to mention the odor around your personage). I have also struggled with weight issues since I was 8 and discovered how good a meatloaf sandwich was/is especially if you are emotionally upset.
Sure it never got in the way of my job or my marriage or my faith but it sure causes enough heartache and misery. It didn’t make me homeless and some of the physical manifestations are only now starting to hit – does that mean I should be taken out and shot – or serve as a source of mirth or anger?
My understanding means that each of us needs the Grace of God through His One and Only Risen Son, Jesus Christ to fill that hole in my life that completes me as a person. You may not feel that and I don’t want to re-educate or institutionalize you for not accepting the cure.
So cut people some slack you don’t know where they’ve been or experienced in life. Extend a hand as long as they can take it – but never put yourself into the position of enabling addiction.
Most people do choose to be homeless (I agree) however fewer choose to be mentally ill or addicted.
Not many come of H.S. aspiring to be the best crack addict they can be but far too many end there.
Profligacy and idiocy, brought to you and encourage by the fine people at the dnc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJWNoJnML-8
One of my sons brought something up regarding drug addiction that is very interesting.
He said many of the people his age who are or have been addicted to drugs were put on add drugs when they were kids.
Interesting.
Just an observation, not sure of why, but around here, all the homeless seem to be white men. Meanwhile, nearly all the construction workers building houses, and cashiers at Home Depot seem to be recent arrivals from Mexico.
I was the anonymous comment about my brother-in-law. I was trying to use my “smart” phone but it crashed mid-sentence.
Anyway, to followup, letting addicts and crazy people (plenty of overlap there) roam the streets is a false economy. Forty years or so ago, states began closing mental hospitals and turning their residents out to fend for themselves. It was a cost-cutting measure disguised as humanitarian action. The courts mandated reform and the states responded by shutting down the system.
The real cost of enabling and cleaning up after formerly institutionalized people is at least that of keeping them institutionalized.
My deceased ex-brother-in-law enjoyed rehab. He thrived in that environment, but he couldn’t live in the real world. He couldn’t qualify for the military and he wasn’t a criminal, so he immersed himself into street culture. He was the unfortunate spawn of a drug addict, so he wasn’t necessarily responsible for his condition.
Most of the tramps, bums and hoboes I see here are young healthy white males in their twenties and thirties. I think a lot of them are Obama’s sons, joining the ranks of the irresponsible after tasting the life (and getting hooked on drugs) during Occupy Wall Street.
Homeless activism is a growth industry that pulls in a lot of money, so there is incentive in leaving people on the streets, in camps and in shelters.
To end this note, soon after posting my first comment, while walking to a fast food place for an early lunch, I was accosted in the parking lot by a frantic gentleman asking to use my phone to call 911. He had seen a crazed man running around with a hammer, randomly smashing car windows. Thanks Mayor Biskupski. At least we have rainbow crosswalks, Harvey Milk Blvd. and bicycle lanes.
ACParker,
Mayor Biskupski……..SLC, UT?
Deplorable B. Woodman,
Yes