One Man's Trash...
I took this photograph in Northern Ireland in summer 2007 during my Undergraduate Summer Scholars project. This homeless man was sitting outside of a grocery store, carrying all of his worldly possessions with him. He played a haunting song on his flute that people walking by pointedly ignored. Though no human stopped to help him, he had one friend—a loyal dog who loved him and kept him warm. I deliberately included the garbage can in this picture because in this moment I realized that both here and abroad, the homeless are often treated like trash. People ignore them and avoid them, even when they cry for help. In Western society, homelessness and poverty are stigmatized and even equated to character flaws and criminality. No one deserves to have to sleep on the streets. It is extremely disappointing that even in the most developed countries in the world people are living in extreme poverty with—often while others live in extravagance nearby. I believe people everywhere should care more for one another. What can you do to help?