If a person was born into a bad situation, a bad family or such, one would be more inclined to say that the child victim deserves a chance, deserves more, deserves a life, etc. Quite often, the person making the comment has their reasons for not checking back to see how the child was doing.
Fast forward in the child's life, to when they turn 16 and the situation never did get better for them, but none the less, the child has persevered and done the best he could have done with the life he was given. He was on the streets and needed a place to stay badly. He was hungry, but continued to try to succeed in school, going as much as he could. The school social worker notices his irregular attendance and contacts the child's parents, and they make up lies to cover their situation, but still leave the kid hanging onto nothing.
Many of the people who have previously made remarks about this young child needing a chance, walk past him every day now, and make rude comments about his hygiene. They often murmur to one another, wondering what this kid's story is, but they never asked. They just continued to walk by and gossip about the kid or his parents.
Everyday is a brand new struggle for a homeless kid. What makes it worse, is that many agencies will not help the kid without a parent's consent. It is against the law. Homeless kids either find a way on their own, or end up in the system - more often than not, mixed with juvenile delinquents. They carry the stigma of their crowd. By the time these teens actually reach foster care, they end up going from home to home, never quite achieving stability and a chance. Some of these teens get tired of being at the butt end of everyone else's lives and either end up in a life of crime or end up taking their lives.
Before you know it, society has already black labelled this kid, his record only making him a target of law enforcement, despite the fact that this child was a victim all of his life. It is because of the lack of love this child received from the beginning, that this child is targeted because no matter how happy this child is with his life, he will have to prove that against his allegations. How would he even begin to know how to do this, when he has not a foundation to learn much of this with? He may lack confidence. Regardless of the outcome, its just another notch on his belt of life, and just another twig in the lonely fire that burns within.
Now as a full grown adult, this once homeless kid with no chance may have the minimal provisions in life, but nonetheless he is happy. Suddenly people begin to tell him what he wants and why he is so useless to them. They wonder why this would make him go away. They judge him for living life the only way he knows how and put new labels to disgrace him. He knows better, he's been there and has seen that already. He knows the outcome in the long run. But because of his humble beginnings, society deems him undeserving.
Kahala Lei
Blood Money Poets
Former Homeless Child
Voice of the People
copyright 2017
