ratboy [they/them]

  • 2 Posts
  • 25 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
Cake day: August 17th, 2023
  • ratboy [they/them]@hexbear.nettoAsklemmy@lemmy.ml•How do you deal with the poor and desperate around you? (Homeless or some stranger who is in an utterly helpless position)English
    7·
    4 months ago

    So I work full time with homeless people who deal with mental illness and substance use issues.

    If you are struggling with surviving yourself, you can only do what you can do. This world is fucked up and you shouldn’t be struggling, and those people on the street shouldn’t be in that position either, and it always seems like the burden to assist the poorest in our society is put on to other poor people, because we can actually understand what it’s like at least a little.

    There may be times when you can only spare some change, other times maybe 5 or 10 dollars. Other times, nothing at all. If you have the ability at all, even the smallest amount can be helpful even if you don’t think it will be. But, if you feel hesitant, don’t beat yourself up for it. You thinking of giving ANYTHING AT ALL means you’re doing more than most people would.

    Also, I think it’s important to try to let go of the moralistic thinking when it comes to people using the money for alcohol or drugs. People end up using drugs because of mental illness, people gave told me that at least when using they feel like they HAVE a reason why theyre hearing voices and seeing shit and its in their control.Because they lost their job due to becoming disabled and doctors won’t prescribe painkillers so they have to find something to numb the pain on the street. They were a foster kid who got kicked out with nothing, no family or friends and we’re physically and mentally abused for years so using drugs is the only way they know how to cope.

    Another very real story I heard recently as to why someone drowned themselves in liquor for 15 years is because his nephew was playing hide and seek and hid under a pile of clothes in a closet. A fire started in the house; he was searching everywhere for the kid, and was digging and digging but couldn’t pull him out before the firemen forced him to leave. So he had to stand there and watch as his nephew burned alive because the firemen would not go back in to get him. You don’t know someone’s story and why they got to where they are. If you don’t want your money going to drugs or alcohol, you can make the choice to not give anyone money on the off chance that they happen to have a substance use issue, but remember they are people too with a lot of trauma.

  • ratboy [they/them]@hexbear.nettoWorld News@lemmy.ml•Nearly Half of EV Owners Would Switch Back to Combustion Engine Vehicles: StudyEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    The class aspect is definitely something that pisses me off about it as well. EVs seem to be debatable when it comes to them being more environmentally friendly after all, but it seems like anything that is or appears to be better, ethical consumption choices are reserved for people with money (But also there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism obvs).

    I’m fortunate enough to have been able to purchase a new hybrid rav, it was so worth it but I did also go from a 97 Mazda with peeling paint that can’t climb mountain passes and does like 17 miles per gallon lol.

  • ratboy [they/them]@hexbear.nettoComradeship // Freechat@lemmygrad.ml•Am I Elitist?English
    17·
    1 year ago

    I feel this argument hard and literally was having the conversation with my partner like 10 minutes before opening up this post lol. That being said, I’m in my 30’s. When I was that age, even at 18, I was a fucking shithead.

    story time: I knew ultimately that I was anti-Republican (I considered myself a punk and that really helped to send me on a leftist trajectory, along with experiences with shitty cops at a very young age. Was told to never snitch when I was like 6.). But, I still had awful, racist, and just uneducated takes. I was pretty close to a straight A student, as well. What helped me become more radicalized was eventually being required to take an African American film class at my community college. I had to watch Birth of the Nation, and that woke me up a bit and made me want to dig into why I thought the way I did. I was lucky enough to go to university and minor in Latin American studies, and those classes blew the roof off for me. I pushed myself HARD to undo a lot of my fragile white beliefs and it paid off, and I just radicalized further from there. Now it’s taken me while but I’m about to start reading a ton of theory.

    Y’all are still very young. It’s fucking awesome that you seem to have the political consciousness that you do at your age, I’m jealous. I don’t think it’s very uncommon for people fresh out of highschool to still be asleep politically. Frustrating as it is, I think young adulthood is such a pivotal moment where a lot can change about a person’s identity, so trying to continually have those conversations if you have the bandwidth is SO IMPORTANT. Learn about homelessness in the US and people’s stories. He talks about how his life is good, but maybe learning about how that can change on a dime might resonate more than thinking about these things that are often so far removed from our immediate reality. Trying to reach these people before they become full on Chuds is fucking praxis and can be some of the most important work you can do!

  • ratboy [they/them]@hexbear.nettoAsklemmy@lemmy.ml•How can we boost Lemmy membership?English
    151·
    1 year ago

    I agree with you, I like that it feels more cozy and there are way fewer trolls/devil’s advocate types that I’ve run into here. And that’s from my multiple different accounts that I’ve test drived on different instances. I personally think that lemmy is too confusing for people to settle into due to the nature of federation and such so its only gonna be people really committed to getting away from mainstream social media that will come over long term.