The Advantages of Homlessness - Essay Example

On Homelessness The advantages of homelessness would have to be observed from a beatnik perspective. In the 1950's, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsbergwere on the front lines of the genesis of a generation of individuals who embraced minimalism and simplicity. The beatnik generation moved freely from place to place without the restrictions of mortgages, bills, deadlines and the like. So many in today's world are locked into a minimum 40 hour work week. Missing a paycheck could put most of these individuals in a serious financial bind.

The reason for this is that most of these individuals are paying either high rent payments or mortgage payments, not to mention all of the bills that go along with the rent or mortgage, such as electric bills, gas bills, cable, phone and so on. The freedom that a homeless person would have from these bills would be unimaginable to some.There would be a great deal of financial freedom if one were homeless, but one would need to consider as well where they could find shelter in the event of bad weather conditions.

I would not choose to be homeless due to this reason. One would replace the worry of constant bill paying with the worry of finding safe and adequate shelter, sometimes on short notice. In addition, if one has children, being homeless is simply not a viable option. Children require stability and protection. The choice to be homeless would need to be made by adults with no children involved. I feel that personally I would not be comfortable with the uncertainty of homelessness, the not being able to call any one place my own.

I would prefer to be a slave to work as it is than a slave to freedom. Freedom comes a price. If I had the power, however, to make and execute a social policy which would bring equality between classes, I would develop a policy that ensured essentially equal provisions for all. I would first implement a system that provided socialized health care for each and every individual who needed it. It would encompass everything from routine check ups to necessary procedures. It would also provide for housing to any person or persons who needed or wanted housing.

There would be no such thing as forced homelessness. If individuals chose to be homeless, there would be shelters established simply for their need for temporary shelter. No one would be turned away at any time unless they were not following rules or laws. The rules would be simply to respect others at all times and no illegal activities. I would also be very adamant about feeding everyone. There would be no hungry individuals who did not choose to be hungry. I realize that this would mean high taxing.

In order to support such provisions for all, there would need to be a rather large tax required. Individuals who were of lower income brackets, however, would be required to pay a lesser tax and as the income brackets of individuals increased, the tax to their income would also increase. Part of this tax revenue amassed would collectively go into a pool which supported non-profit organizations. These organizations would be chosen based on their willingness to help a large population of individuals.

Organizations that financially aided in the greater good would be donated to annually. There is simply no reason why certain individuals possess unrealistic amounts of money and assets while others are unable to afford food or health care for their children. This type of scenario would not exist. My policy would ensure all human requirements to any individual who desired them. Society as a whole would be less consumed with the drive to "get ahead" and more prone to enjoy their lives. There would be less suffering and little to no poverty.

It would be ideal if it were possible.Works CitedTonkinson, Carole ed. Big Sky Mind: Buddhism and the Beat Generation. Riverhead Books, New York, 1995.http://guide2homelessness.blogspot.com/2004/10/advantages-of-homelessness.html