Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences
i’d have to ask the circumstances in which you witnessed this.. were these folks clearly by themselves, or were others near them? is this a particular neighborhood that this happens in? ..did the person seem angry or upset? did they seem to have an earpiece for a cell phone, or walkman/ipod? ..did their dialogue seem to be religious in content (keywords: ‘Jesus.. hallelujah.. Praise God..’) …unless it is an individual with mental and/or emotional and/or substance abuse issues, i don’t see this happening on a recurring basis.. I do know that in this current economic climate, less government money has been made available for mental health care, many communities, especially poorer communities, have less outlets for this now.. many such clinics have been shut down or services severely downscaled.. by extension of this, many mental health/substance abuse halfway houses and related programs that address helping people with these issues have faced closing down.. thus, more people are walking the streets with these issues, some homeless, some semi-homeless.. On a further ‘side note’, African-American culture has never placed a high premium on ‘mainstream’ mental health resources (i.e., psychiatrists/psychologists), partly for the economic issues (generally looked at as a resource for the upper middle class & above) as well as the issue of predominantly white professionals in that field and the cultural gaps many feel in expressing issues to a stranger that is not of your culture.. most black folks who seek counseling tend to depend on prayer and clergy.. also, openly religious exhortations are common in african-american communities, people may be by themselves (or in a group), and facing a crisis, or some fortuitous circumstance may befall them, prompting religious praise or entreaties. ..if angered or upset, i’ve seen some individuals may ‘vent’ for a time, at no one in particular.. how long it lasts depends on the individual..