judging a book by its cover

JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER 

The sun has gone down, it’s getting windy, just another night in Southern California and people start to retire home for the day. A home where people are surrounded by warmth, four walls and a roof over their heads. But what about the people that are out in the streets, on the curves, under bridges, the ones we call “the homeless.” Due to the economy and hardships we have endure, the homeless population in California has increased over the years (good place to follow up with some statistics to back you up). Some people are homeless because they had to give it all up in order to start from the bottom.

In a society where “the homeless” are being looked down upon, we forget that they are human beings too with feelings, with a story, with a life to which we have no right to judge over. Instead we do judge them just like we judge a book by its cover because of the stereotypes we grew up believing. We tend to see them but not acknowledge them. We assume or judge them by how they look. All we see is that they are dirty, mal nutrition, mentally ill or even decent dressed; they are homeless by choice.

-this is great set up for a section on those representations of the homeless that reinforce negative stereotypes since your next paragraph discusses representations of the homeless that challenge negative stereotypes

Not all homeless people are drug addicts, alcohol abusers, or mentally ill. Some may have jobs but still be homeless. I am reminded of the movie The Pursuit of Happynes, where Chris Gardner, a homeless single father to a five year old son endured hardships while he maintained a full time job. Even though he had a job selling portable bone-density scanners, he barely had any money to eat or even had a decent place to stay. 
-you are going to want to give more detail than this to really paint a picture of Chris that is moving and/or convincing.  Consider how you can further add to his story. 
From this example, we note that homeless people aren’t all grimy, dirty, and sick looking. A homeless person can be smart, well dressed, and well physically, emotionally and mentally stable.

In order to change the way society thinks, we have to start with ourselves. All it takes is a simple hello and a smile. 

I got the opportunity to sit down and interview a homeless man by the name of John Albert Rogers who is a disabled Vietnam veteran who like many vets suffer from Post Dramatic Syndrome (PTDS). He is a father, a brother, and a son. John talked about what it was like growing up without parents around. He talked about his brother practically raising him. I asked john what led him to join the war. John’s response was that to honor his brothers memory, who never came back from war, was a way to follow in his heroes footsteps. John doesn’t regret fighting for his country, he has made peace with it and continues making peace with God. Even though John lives out in the streets that doesn’t keep him down, he tries to smile as much as he can, his faith in God keeps him sound.

Even when he is ignored, he tries to not let that get to him. He has such a positivism on life. He can be quoted saying that he loves life because life is beautiful and short -quote him then. John like the rest of us want to be acknowledge. A simple hello makes him happy.

John’s story serves as an example that we are quick on judging homeless people. Next time you see someone homeless don’t be too quick to judge, say Hello and smile. We could all be in that position at one point in life. We need to change and pass on positivism. 

-is then the overall focus/position of your paper to inform your readers that representations of the homeless create negative stereotypes and that these stereotypes then affect the way we feel and interact with the homeless?  Consider that we are focusing on California and what representations, positive and negative, of the homeless you can include in your article to further back up your point.  
-is it just as simple as a hello and smile or do we also need to more informed about what influences our ideas of other people?