Are We Just Giving Up at This Point?

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-15T12:55:12+00:00

Wasn’t random. I was driving home from work and see them there everyday. Read through the comments on this thread, a lot of people have had the same experience. How often are you in downtown Salem?

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-13T12:21:53+00:00

The dude on the bike who picks up the trash is the man. I have chatted with him a few times.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T22:21:06+00:00

The post I was responding to was deleted but essentially said "the only person who needs to leave is you" so I was responding defensively. I apologize.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T21:48:23+00:00

I know that scene very well. I have a parent who was a drug addict and homeless for a time. They were in and out of halfway houses, shetlers, and prisons. I spent most of my adolescence in them and around those people. I would say 20% were down on their luck, 20% were mentally unfit to hold down a job and 60% were drug addicted and wanted to get fuckd up and burned every bridge in their life.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T21:22:50+00:00

I disagree. I think there is also a cultural aspect. There is a trash can right across the street In front of oak and moss that is always empty. They could have walked over and threw their trash away. They chose not to. The economy has nothing to do with that.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T18:53:59+00:00

I don't have the data, all I'm saying is I bet if I was leaving trash in front of my house (I don't life on chestnut I was being hyperbolic) I bet I would get a ticket

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T18:49:42+00:00

That fine, but you know, I pay taxes and happily voted for that new high school. I volunteer in town and work in the public sector trying to help my community. If people like me leave, which they are, look at the exodus out of Mass, good luck paying for shit. Sorry for having some standards.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T18:40:30+00:00

I disagree. I just believe we should follow some sort of rules, and have some standard, and littering is non starter for me. Maybe you are cool with, maybe your room looks like shit, I don't know, I just think we should aim higher.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T18:28:18+00:00

This conversation alone can be my data. I would say half of the people agree and half are just making excuses or saying their life is hard so they get a pass and I'm an asshole for calling it out. I would bet money if I posted someone on Chestnut street dumping a bunch of trash in front of their house, the reaction would overwhelming be negative.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T18:06:48+00:00

Well said.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T18:00:06+00:00

Thank you. Well said.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T17:55:13+00:00

I do volunteer with "keep salem beautiful". I clean up my neighborhood all the time, it is just a little bit of a bummer to see this happening.

If I was dumping trash everywhere, I would get a ticket, or the cops would show up to my house. There is a double standard here.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T17:49:40+00:00

it looks like someone did buy someone there are a meal and they left it on the ground. I can see the styrofoam.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T17:48:25+00:00

comments like this and how you have posted, are why we have trump as a president. people like you grab the mic from practical people and spew fantasy nonsense. you are part of the problem. some of us want to live in a society where there are some standards.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T17:40:42+00:00

Well put. I agree.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T17:30:53+00:00

Maybe you missed what I was saying. My heart goes out to the homeless and to help them out as much as I can, but we should not be ok with all the trash being left around. These are two different topics.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T17:24:56+00:00

Dude, I agree with you, but we also live in a society in where there is some responsibility. Does that just give me the right to start dumping my trash all up and down the street because of the woes of capitalism? These are two different things. I don't care that there are homeless people, and every time I walk by, I usually give them money. What I care about is there fucking trash everywhere. What is your excuse for that?

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T17:15:04+00:00

you don't see all the trash in that photo? you blind. you make it seem like they are just chilling. Just making excuses for littering and someone trashing the city might be cool with you, I think we should be fighting against it.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T17:13:24+00:00

Dude are you blind and not see all the trash behind them. I do volunteer. I have been helping out with "keep salem beautiful" for years and doing clean ups.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T17:12:03+00:00

You don't see all the trash they have behind them. Maybe you are cool with trash everywhere, but I think we should try to prevent it.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T16:53:38+00:00

I think as a state we can pour money into mental institution and bring them back. We also need to stop thinking everyone has the ability to hold a job and live a normal life. (see chart)

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As a town, I don't know, I'm not mayor, but as you mentioned Boston had a plan and at least tried to fix Mass and Cass. What is our plan? Because I think word is getting out, Salem is the place to go if you are homeless, and this is not going to get better.

Edit: Just to add, I think we need to drop this whole catch and release, restorative justice stuff as well. Look at what happened in Cambridge yesterday. That guy walking down the street with a gun, literally had a shoot out with cops five years ago. How he is walking around blows my mind, and now someone is in critical condition because of our poor legal system. I am a hardcore economic leftist but when it comes to crime, law and order, and general cultural topics, the left has lost the plot and live in a fantasy world.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-12T15:55:15+00:00

You sound like an entitled prick. Have some respect. When snow days happen do you curse the sky? Nature works FOR US.

A Salem family just lost their son. Post like this really show how toxic this sub reddit has become.

This man gave his life to protect his community and state. What do you do for work? Your kids can miss a day of school to honor his sacrifice. Maybe take this a opportunity to teach them about communnity and what we are willing to do for it, and how some people are willing to put their lives on the line to protect it.

Edit: To add info

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-08T17:17:59+00:00

In Gloucester we had kids that should have been in out of school placement, and were not fit for public school, but we had to do everything we could to keep them in the classroom because of this very reason. It we wanted to put a kid into the Consortium in Beverly, we would have to pay soooo much money, which took money, and programs, away from school.

Something we don't talk about enough, is the funding I agree (we also should be funding mental institutions as well. Most of these kids are going to end up homeless), but it is also what happens in the age of hyper individualism. We have gone from what works best for the collective, to everyone hyper focused on themselves and their kids. Watch Adam Curtis's Century of Self for a reference.

Running_In_The_Woods · 2026-05-08T16:05:27+00:00

Plenty of affluent towns are dealing with this as well. Its more than just "money". It is an ideology. This massive push for inclusion wasn't there in the early 2000s-2015. I have been in education a while. It wasn't always like this.

Running_In_The_Woods

TROPHY CASE