Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

The other day a friend and I were talking and she complained about the homeless laying on the sidewalks.  She said she didn't know why they had to sleep there.  I was stunned.  She is an extremely kind and compassionate person.  I told her they were afraid.  That being where there were witnesses made it less likely they'd get kicked or robbed.  The police presence made it safer.  I said, they live in fear, wouldn't you?  She was so used to seeing the homeless that she had lost the ability to put herself in their place.  I try to respond to every homeless person who speaks to me, unless they are obviously crazy and out of control.  I want to give them at least that much dignity.  My friend's response was a lesson to me, of not hardening up in the face of a daily familiar occurrence.  We become numb, and don't exercise our empathetic abilities.  We should all be agitating for housing for these people, mostly suffering from housing being unaffordable, even if you work.  And some of these people need sheltered housing, possibly for the rest of their lives.  And medical care, and therapy.  It seems like we are so rich a country that we entertain ourselves rather than helping those in need.  I'm ashamed.