Rough Draft #3..Comparision/Contrast

Lindsey Mitchell
Mrs. Sharon Aiken
English 1101
October 17, 2009
The President to the Homeless
When most people think about the president of the United States they think power and

prestige; Homeless people have never been placed in that category. When I think about the president, these things come to mind: lives in the White House, always wearing a suit, has to make really important decisions that affect a lot of people, and everyone knows who he is. When I think about homeless people, I think of these things: no permanent residence, they appear dirty and helpless, they beg from others, and they have no job. These characteristics definitely could not be interchangeable and that’s what makes these two very different. I did find though, even with all these differences they have more similarities than one would think.
Most average people, every day, wonder about what others think of them. The president definitely has to; because his career depends on the support he gets from the public. In a way a homeless person depends greatly on the support he gets from the public also. Almost all people either like the president or they don’t; the same applies to a homeless person, either you feel sorry for them by giving them your spare change or you act as if you didn’t even notice them. I would think that the stress level associated with both of these lifestyles is high on the charts. The president has to worry about keeping peace in his country as well as with others. He has to make big decisions that could make the whole country either upset or satisfied. A homeless person doesn’t have to make these kinds of decisions, but they have their own worries too. If I didn’t have any stability, didn’t have a place to live, or anything to eat, I would probably be pretty stressed too.
The differences in these two people make both of their lives really difficult. One big difference is their lifestyle and social status. The president has people that plan his day and that he can go to if he has issues that need resolving. On the other hand, if you are homeless, you really don’t have anybody to go to and you might not even know when your next meal will be. Most people see homeless people as worthless and invaluable; People see the president as very valuable and look to him at him as a leader.
Responsibilities are another area where these two are very different. The president has so much responsibility including his job, his family, and his political standings. His average day probably consists of things like: meetings, trips, conferences, speeches, and campaigns. He also has to work with other committees and individuals to keep the country running smoothly and effectively. Responsibilities that would apply to a homeless person are not nearly like those of the president. An average day for them probably looks like this: wake up from wherever they slept, could have been outside, then probably beg for something to eat or look for something lying around. Besides looking for food, finding a place to sleep, and asking for donations/food from anybody they can, the lives of the homeless really don’t involve much responsibility.

The last big difference that I found between these two is: their plans for the direction of their lives. The president probably isn’t too worried about his life after his term(s) in office. You could probably get any job you want, with “The President of the United States” on your resume. Actually, he probably doesn’t have to think about a job after being president. With all the perks and the benefits after his presidency is over, he most likely isn’t too worried about what he will do with his spare time or money for that matter. I think the most upsetting thing for me, if I was homeless, would be not knowing the direction of my life or if I was ever going to not be homeless. When I think about it, after they have been homeless for awhile, is there really a chance for them to get their life back by themselves? Even if they thought they could do it by their self, the odds really are not that good of someone hiring them if they don’t have a permanent residence, any job experience, or a nice personal appearance.
Even though these two types of people are very different and you would think they have no similarities, they really do have things in common; one reason being that they are both human beings and should be treated with respect and given support. There are a lot of people that don’t agree with the decisions that the president makes, but if you think about his job and what he has to do every day, he probably deserves a little more support. Most people probably don’t like homeless people as a whole, but you never know what some people have gone through and how they got where they are.