The Hungarian government feels deep sadness after being accused of misusing all its might against those who are themselves powerless. Therefore we want to respond to the allegations regarding the so-called criminalization of homeless people.
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| "Hungarian fairy tale" |
Is it not a great crime to deprave someone who owns little of his sole possession? If one owns only one lamb is not worse to take it from him than to take it from the rich man who owns the flocks of herd? Is not the crime even more serious when freedom is everything one has and we simply take it away? If we agree, than it must be also true that Hungarian government imprisoning homeless people does not deserve anything but disdain.
Alas, our dear constitution protects freedom as one of the sacred values and so this government does. And for a good reason. Freedom provides the basis for all other rights. One cannot really live as he wishes if he is enslaved or even imprisoned. Yet everyone will agree that in fact there is a difference between freedom of the rich, freedom of the poor, not mentioning the freedom of the homeless. Therefore, we have to pose the question: “Are the homeless people truly free and equal when their existence is reduced to mere survival?” People without home often find themselves locked in a vicious circle of despair. Without decent shelter and means of subsistence they become slaves of outer circumstances. They freeze being unable to challenge the hostility of weather, weakened by malnutrition they are not able to resist trivial illnesses. Moreover, many of them are addicted to various drugs thus condemned to perish under their devastating yoke. Our government simply tries to remove these weighty shackles and allow every person to be genuinely free in his pursuit for happiness. For us it is simply not enough that all people are free and equal in the eyes of the law when they are not as a matter of fact. Therefore the task of our government is not only to restrain ourselves from actions depraving one of his freedoms, but also their active protection. Hence we are equally mandated not to deprave man of his fortunes as we are mandated to reach out our arm to those who need it.
What may look as arbitrary imprisonment of homeless people is in fact a rehabilitative detention. Our government only solemnly tries to advert more suffering of this discrete and insular minority. Yes, we temporary limit their freedom to prevent their permanent enslavement and even pitiful death. However, we provide those people during their stay in rehabilitation facilities with sanitary conditions, all the medical care and warm food. Moreover, we offer them means to get rid of their addictions. We give them opportunity to absolve various courses raising their qualification on the job market. The possibility to start live anew is offered to those people wretched by misfortunes.
Guided by providence of our constitution we do not want to leave those poverty-stricken persons in their undignified misery. Because if there is striking inequality in freedoms how can we say that every person is treated with same worth? Our true intention is thus to restore their freedoms so they can become equal members of the community and cease to be its despised outcasts. This is not mandated only by constitution ordering to give everyone the same value, the same worth, the same dignity, but also by the common-sense.
One may legitimately ask if it is not enough to build shelters for needy where all the care will be given to them. Sadly, we do not see any other option than to insist on solution. People forced to live in the street for the long time get use to their misery and lack the will and discipline to step-out of their shadowy existence. At some stage help must be simply given to them even against their free will, so they can regain their self-respect.
What may seem from the short-term perspective as discriminatory, cruel and derogatory incarceration appears from long-term view as beneficial both for society and individual. Well aware of malicious attacks and disrespect for our measures we will nevertheless not abandon our duties and together with them those who need our help the most. Therefore we would stay firm and reverently dedicated to our cause, for we justly believe in its righteousness. If we will be denoted as paternalistic, we will take it as a compliment. For we know that we are using all the power entrusted to us by our people for their common good.
Erik Kotlárik
Legal Studies
Slovakia
Editorial note: This article is an imagined answer of the Hungarian government in response to the recent outrage regarding the treatment of homeless people in Budapest and Hungary.
Images: ARC Magazin
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