I brought up how homeless people get such a bad rep and stereotyped to the point they can’t leave the cycle they’re in. My dad entered the conversation (he’s a reasonable man just grew up in a different time) with the idea seeming like they needed to help themselves first
My stance is there are many people in different situations, some that have devolved into drug use (and of course need help) others who can’t escape the appearance of homelessness and therefore can’t get a job or can’t put down a hone address and many other situations that obviously need help. But I explained how there are so many government programs that take advantage and exploit homelessness.
The idea that they’ve given $3500-4000 per person of funding to an organization to house homeless people yet still stuff them in 30 people per room environments and horrible conditions that wouldn’t pass inspections when in reality 3500-4000 a month is double what I was making in my old engineering job.
So I explained this to him and his response was “ok why don’t you help them”. (He didn’t say it antagonizingly but to maybe indicate it might be harder than it seems given the stereotypes).
And I rounded the point by saying I’m in no position to own a building that can house people (as I can’t even house myself yet lol) but that shouldn’t distract from the idea that we have all this money being given out, many people blaming homelesss people for getting handouts yet where does the money actually go. I told him the bigger issue is people taking advantage of government hand outs that either don’t need it or are exploiting it and he really started wondering where the money went after I showed him pictures.
Of course not every boomer generation would be rational, but I’ve been learning if you don’t complain but more question what’s really going on they also start understanding there’s more to the problem than the side that’s visible. Just wanted to share my experience of having a productive and thought provoking conversation with a man who I’d label as a rational conservative