Discussion
  • Read More
    JohnMcClanesSmirkKen Layne
    2/13/14 4:56pm

    Remember in the late80s/early 90s when it was socially acceptable to care about homelessness? Like, there were actual pop songs made about it?

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      dwaynemcgintymofobutterlayinmetodaboneJohnMcClanesSmirk
      2/13/14 4:58pm

      This has a better beat.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      GregSamsaJohnMcClanesSmirk
      2/13/14 5:01pm

      And Comic Relief, which I loved when I was a kid, and pestered my parents each year to donate.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    youtalkintomeKen Layne
    2/13/14 4:03pm

    Well a homeless guy died. Stop the fucking presses.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      PlantinMoretusyoutalkintome
      2/13/14 4:56pm

      The point is that mere hours before he died he was in the custody of a public institution that (supposedly) exists to keep people safe.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      JohnMcClanesSmirkyoutalkintome
      2/13/14 4:59pm

      Actually, yes, stop the presses. Why not? He was a human being. Could probably afford to stop a few more presses over stories like this, no?

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    in5minuteaKen Layne
    2/13/14 5:11pm

    They brought him in for intoxication - he most likely died from dehydration or alcohol withdrawal. I work at an agency where many of our (formerly homeless or mentally ill) clients are alcoholics or substance abusers. We get emails at least once a month from management reminding us that alcohol withdrawal is the only form of detox that can kill you and that a severe alcoholic should never ever try to stop cold turkey because of this. Seriously, the reason homeless people often have to go to detox in jail isn't just because public intoxication is illegal- it's because if you're not monitored closely you can have symptoms that range from anxiety to severe seizures to comas to death. Anyone who works at a jail, presumably one with detox attached, should fucking know better.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      XwillowXin5minutea
      2/13/14 5:29pm

      This. SO MUCH THIS. A friend of mine and I had a huge argument in regards to the fact that I give money to homeless people when "all they're gonna do is buy booze" with it. I pointed out that Alcohol withdrawal can KILL you, and unless they're in a medically monitored detox, the handful of change I hand over might actually help in PROLONGING their life long enough for them to find treatment/get off the streets. Maybe it doesn't help their core problems, but it does give me a chance to look them in their eyes and remind them they're not invisible. I'm not a doctor, it's not within my realm of expertise to diagnose or treat addiction. But I AM a human being, and I can be empathetic toward another human being who is suffering.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      snackpaktampaxin5minutea
      2/13/14 6:21pm

      Can I ask where you work (no need for specific name) or what your agency does? I'm trying to figure out a good volunteer job for homeless people.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    sizor_sisterKen Layne
    2/13/14 4:49pm

    I'm trying to figure out what the headline picture means......

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      burlivesleftnutsizor_sister
      2/13/14 4:50pm

      Kicked to the curb.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      Left Handshakesizor_sister
      2/13/14 4:55pm

      I just assumed it was urine in the gutter.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    rudi_freudeKen Layne
    2/13/14 5:06pm

    Being in the high desert, I don't think the Victorville PD understands how "Catch and Release" works.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      nom de internetsrudi_freude
      2/13/14 6:14pm

      I am an avid fisherman. I released 99% of my catches, but even accidental mishandling of your quarry will often result in death.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    happyburnercharliebrownKen Layne
    2/13/14 4:56pm

    I hope someone receives a sternly worded letter before this guy is completely forgotten next week.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      rudi_freudehappyburnercharliebrown
      2/13/14 5:02pm

      Where do you think we are?

      Canada?

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      larryherkimerhappyburnercharliebrown
      2/13/14 5:13pm

      Thank you...or at least suspend someone for a couple of days 'with pay'. That'll teach 'em

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    West Coast SecessionistKen Layne
    2/14/14 5:13am

    Am I supposed to be mad that the cops didn't keep him in jail longer? Seriously? What if they had simply been nice and let him off with a warning, instead of arresting him in the first place? Wouldn't he still be dead now? It seems like the momentary jail thing had essentially zero to do with this person dying.

    It seems like you have the misconception that the police are some sort of roving homeless-protection force. To the contrary, if the homeless aren't hurting anybody, it isn't the cops job to lock them up in jail just to keep them warm and fed. There are more effective, affordable, and humane ways of doing that, called shelters, but they're voluntary unlike jail.

    PS I don't like the police so don't think I'm defending cops here. Just pointing out what cops are not.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      numaKen Layne
      2/13/14 5:34pm

      A society that vomits away its members simultaneously devours itself.

      Reply
      <
      • Read More
        HieronymusHiroshigenuma
        2/13/14 11:02pm

        I love that painting.

        Reply
        <
      • Read More
        bobvealahhhnuma
        2/13/14 11:43pm

        Satorno Devorando Su Hijo?

        Reply
        <
    • Read More
      dwaynemcgintymofobutterlayinmetodaboneKen Layne
      2/13/14 4:55pm

      He probably took a look around, realized where he was and evacuated his soul.

      Reply
      <
      • Read More
        pkmeexKen Layne
        2/13/14 4:50pm

        Diabetes?

        Reply
        <
        • Read More
          lankypankypkmeex
          2/13/14 5:01pm

          Mm, maybe. Remember, also, that alcohol withdrawal can be fatal in a variety of ways.

          Drunkenness from a binge begins to lift, he's coherent, cops decide to let him go rather than crowd a jail cell - and BAM! he has a withdrawal seizure while walking away, cracks his skull open, dies of a head injury.

          Reply
          <