Why should we?

Today I heard the comment while I was in Birmingham. The comment was, why should we help the homeless? They probably have got somewhere to go if they only they'd get up off their arses and go bloody well home. Those where the exact words used by someone who I thought was being hypocritical and small minded, as he had just given a beggar a pound. So I turned round and said hey, how can someone like yourself say that, when you have just given a beggar a pound? I thought he was going to attack me, but he just walked away.
People who are on the streets are not all runaways but I have to admit a large proportion of them do have problems. Runaways usually have valid reasons for leaving home. Would you stay in a place where there was no love or you were being abused or nobody listened to you when you had a problem? I know I certainly wouldn't. So the question of should we help the homeless really shouldn't arise? But the answer to the question. It has to be yes. We can't forget that they are someone's sons or daughters. The fact that they are living rough and have these problems is enough.
Someone said that we care more about other people in other countries and give more to them than we do our own. So that we are seen to be a country with compassion. My own view on this is why we should we see or hear about homelessness in this country? We are supposed to be a wealthy nation. So I ask the question that may annoy a few. Are we just a country that is wealthy in things that we can touch and own? Only half heartedly giving thought to the less fortunate? Now and again putting our hands into our pockets and patting ourselves on the back because we don't see the homeless as being really needy. Is this because we know they can go to day centers and get washed and fed or charities bring food at night. When I give a pound to someone on the streets I have to admit it makes me feel good but I do it because I have been in that position.
4000 people gave their time last Christmas. Time that should have been spent with family and friends. So this tells me that people do care. So I am left scratching my head to answer the question. Why should someone say why should we help the homeless? That's like me saying why should we help the sick?
My feeling on the subject on homelessness are, in life we all make choices. Some of them are bad and some of us who are smart, bright as a button see the mistake and rectify it. Some of us don't see the mistake. Some never see it. To some the making of bad decisions has become a habit so bad they think they cannot change and sometimes like myself help is needed to realise the life we have led through those choices can be changed. It's the ones who don't see their mistakes, these are usually the ones that end up in paupers graves. These are the one we should be trying to help after all isn't all life precious or is that just a thing we say.