Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of... Internet?

When you think of a homeless person the first or the last thing that comes to mind is not usually a computer. However, the Internet plays a crucial role in shaping the lives and future of many homeless people in Kalispell. More and more are going to free wireless areas with their laptops or using other computers to search for jobs, to send or receive email and to use as a tool of their own work.

There are many reasons homeless people are homeless and we have discussed them at great length over the years. Take the 29 year old guy who lost his job in February and now calls a shelter home. He searches for jobs on line and also is a computer programmer who is writing a new program in hopes one day he can sell his work and in the process maybe find a new job helping lead to an income and permanent housing.

Nationally, shelter employees are saying that more and more people who enter shelters are also have laptops. With many places offering free Internet it is very possible for them to do what they need to do on line free without the monthly bill of Internet access. Libraries, fast food restaurants, and bookstores are just a few places offering free wifi.

Some trends in thinking suggest that in five years a UN convention will announce that network access will become everyones human right. The idea is that human rights do not only include food, shelter, and the rights for freedom of speech but it also includes the Internet. People in the future will not understand why it was not ones rights before such time. This is an interesting thought and one I will elaborate on soon. But just think about it... Is access to the Internet actually a right? Has it surpassed luxury and moved to necessity?

Some homeless people have expressed their feelings that you do not need a radio or TV but you do need to have access to the Internet. With the state of the economy at the moment more and more people who are homeless are not the people you may think they are. They are educated but down on their luck with the state of things and trying desperately to fight for the life as they once knew.

The power of the Internet is incredible and making the entire world seem so very small. Anything that can help improve ones life is very important indeed. I know the Internet is a huge part of my daily routine so why would anyone think it would not be the same way for people living on the streets.

Please feel free to comment on this and I will take those ideas into account as I continue thinking through this issue.