That may be true, but it is not my job or responsibility to give them a dollar.
I will not support beggars. You can, but don't tell me I have to. I work at soup kitchens, I donate money to specific useful (in my mind) charities. I donate all usable goods (clothes, appliances, pcs, furniture, books, magazines, puzzles) to the appropriate services, rather than throwing them away. I (with friends and family) adopt needy families at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, start of school and some birthdays. I donate time and sweat to church and town functions. I donate programming expertise to a number of non-profits. I work at the Special Olympics. I've reblazed and cleaned a number of hiking trails. I find these "donations" much more useful (and long-term beneficial) than a hand-out. Just my feeling. I pass about 20 people begging every day on my way to work. They have all (with a few changes here and there) been there for the entire 4 years I've been in Boston. I've sat and watched them, and it seems they fall into 2 major groups. The mentally ill (including hardcore drug or alcoholics) and the conmen. But they all have more speding money than I do. They all have packs of cigarettes, scatter hundreds of lottery tickets on the ground every day. I see them buying booze, and if I get in early enough, many have obviously just shot up or smoked. The mentally ill are pretty obvious, and I find them somewhat dangerous due to their unpredictability. I've seen knifings, fistfights, people pushed in front of traffic. Usually between other beggars over location, but sometimes due to a "wrong look" or because they think the amount given wasn't enough. Last week a guy tried to stuff pennies in a lady's mouth because that is all she put in his cup. (The Boston police react QUICK when needed, though). These folk I feel sorry for, but I don't see giving them a dollar helping them in any meaningful way. The conmen and sad sacks are doing it because it is easier than working for a living. They usually have better shoes than I do, and often have something that gives them away. (walkman, fubu shirt, cellphone, etc) Many ride in with me on the train. They don't eat at the shelter. And they are making good money. They don't need mine. Jerry Johnson Web Developer On 5/17/05, S. Isaac Dealey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > As a rule homeless people are not homeless by > choice -- they become desperate / despondent after weeks, months or > years of trying and failing to change their situation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Find out how CFTicket can increase your company's customer support efficiency by 100% http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=49 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:157979 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
