Michelle Obama, the homeless and the cameraphone

A story from The Los Angeles Times on First Lady Michelle Obama volunteering at a soup kitchen for homeless people, created controversy because one of the diners took her picture with a cameraphone: "If this unidentified meal recipient is too poor to buy his own food, how does he afford a cellphone? And if he is homeless, where do they send the cellphone bills?"

T Steel, site administrator of The Moderate Voice offers a stinging reply.

For all you types that look at the above picture and scoff so smartly, let me break something down for you, ghetto smarts style (I volunteered at homeless shelters for 10 years in inner city Detroit, Michigan USA):

1. Many pre-paid cell phones come with cameras.

2. Pre-paid cell phones are inexpensive at legal vendors.

3. Pre-paid cell phones and non pre-paid cell phones are frequently stolen and sold on the street DIRT CHEAP ($2 to $3 a phone many times).

4. Many homeless people buy the pre-paid cell phones and walk around with no service BUT still take pictures.

5. The same homeless people hold on to those cell phones and it is the first thing activated when they get more cash.

6. Many homeless people have only one way to be contacted, the cell phone. Thus it is HIGH priority especially in job searching.

7. Many homeless people are homeless because of loss of a job and inability to find solid work.

8. Homeless doesn’t mean shiftless or lazy. When jobs showed up at homeless shelters, everyone wanted one DESPERATELY.

9. There have been many programs in inner cities to provide cell phones to homeless and poor people for safety reasons (emergencies, etc). Don’t believe me? Safelink Wireless, please educate those not in the know!

...

Criticism of this photo and situation is pointless, nonsensical, quite petty, and loopy.

emily | 9:57 AM | How people and businesses are using cameraphones |
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