The story of this man is very sad. Not long ago, a blogger with an interest in social issues and pressing matters faced by the poor, posted a video on YouTube which made lots of people sad and worried.
The blogger, during his usual routines in Austin, Texas, spotted a homeless man one night at a gas station. The man has been sleeping at the gas station ever since he was released from prison. But, this man lost more than most when he went to prison. He was a wealthy man and very respected.
The man seeing the blogger with his camera, approached him and became happy. He took the opportunity to tell his story to the rest of the world, and also offer the little advice he has for authorities on how ex-convicts should be treated.
According to the man, he was a wealthy contractor with a number of employees before he was forced to go to prison as a nonviolent offender. His crime was that, he was arrested with drugs. He was sentenced to 18 years, but after 12 years he was released.
And ever since he was released from prison, life has become difficult for him. His job is gone and there is no housing for him, therefore, he must live on the street, sleeping at places he can only lay his head for the night.
“Going to prison wasn’t the hard part, it was getting out and being part of society again, that was the hard part, at one time, I was a contractor with four employees and a three bedroom house…,” he said.
He strongly criticized the prison system and the war on drugs, using his case as an example to show how difficult it is for even nonviolent offenders to get employment and housing once they leave prison.
He also shared his opinion on modern communication tools, such as the internet. He said it has destroyed human relationships due to people being able to hide behind an online image and avoid developing any real meaningful relationships. He also advised society to have mercy on the poor in society.
In fact, many have said that he made some very good observations about the war on drugs, the prison system, human relationships, and the most important issue -and most dear to his heart- the need for compassion in society.
Since the video was posted on YouTube, it has been shared over three hundred thousand times. Some of the people who commented on the video were very touched by his story, and one man even decided to give the man a job.
What a life this man has lived. Once a contractor who owned all the necessary material possessions and employees of his own, now, he cannot even get a decent meal and a house, the basic and fundamental needs for every human being. Look at the crime that caused all these problems-drug charges. He did not commit murder or any violent crime. Unfortunately, he is not the only one who is suffering this fate. There are millions of people out there suffering just like this, we just haven’t been shown their stories.
It is time for us to sit down and think about this issue critically. We should make life comfortable for people we have already punished. They should at least have the basic requirements of life; this will help prevent them from being pushed into doing something dangerous or committing a crime worse than the first.
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