That's pretty damn cool but that would cut into the market US school have(they sell magazine subscriptions to fund things like Band.orangeban said:
Is it right to give money to beggars?
- Thread starter Saucycarpdog
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What other can of worms? I'm an immigrant myself to Australia and I actually have alot of sympathy for illegals, being that even I had alot of trouble coming here.. but that isn't what this is about.. this is about people looking for osmething for nothing, and I was saying that several countries give you everything you need if you only ask for it and use it responsibly.
Does the person you are giving money to want to make something out of themself, or are they waiting for a handout. After a year of living in Olympia, I payed a beggar 6 bucks to carry some groceries almost all the way back to my house. (Knew mom wouldn't want strangers knowng where I lived.) I justify it because it wasn't a handout, but rather paying for service. A year later and he's still there.
I did some volunteer work down in Portland giving food and socks to the homeless. Other people even did hair cuts, mannicures, and foot washings. There I met a man who claimed to be close to graduating college, but prefered life on the streets. He was happy that way. Nice guy, but giving him money is only keeping him on the streets doing nothing productive.
My mom gave a bum an orange from her lunch and he smashed it on the ground. A guy of the street asked for 34 cents or something like that and my dad said "Here's 2 bucks, and if you wanna spend it on beer that's fine with me." I once gave a guy who looked like a bum leftovers. He was actually waiting for the crosswalk, but he was very happy to have the food.
There's a woman begging near my house with a sign saying "Layed off need help". I find it hard to believe that any average person could be layed off and rather than looking for work, going to family, having money saved up, cutting back expenses, or turning to government, they are forced into a life of begging on the streets. It's called living within your means.
In my opinion, it's wrong to give people money for begging. My dad gave a homeless man who was eating out of the garbage some money. That man wasn't looking for handouts. He was minding his own business trying to find food. Those are the people who need the money. If people collectively stopped giving money to bums on the street, a lot of those people are going to try to get back on their feet.
Here's an interesting experiment: get ten one dollar bills. Rather than give a bum a dollar, hold out your hand so they can take it from you. Figure out percentage wise how many people will not take the dollar.
I did some volunteer work down in Portland giving food and socks to the homeless. Other people even did hair cuts, mannicures, and foot washings. There I met a man who claimed to be close to graduating college, but prefered life on the streets. He was happy that way. Nice guy, but giving him money is only keeping him on the streets doing nothing productive.
My mom gave a bum an orange from her lunch and he smashed it on the ground. A guy of the street asked for 34 cents or something like that and my dad said "Here's 2 bucks, and if you wanna spend it on beer that's fine with me." I once gave a guy who looked like a bum leftovers. He was actually waiting for the crosswalk, but he was very happy to have the food.
There's a woman begging near my house with a sign saying "Layed off need help". I find it hard to believe that any average person could be layed off and rather than looking for work, going to family, having money saved up, cutting back expenses, or turning to government, they are forced into a life of begging on the streets. It's called living within your means.
In my opinion, it's wrong to give people money for begging. My dad gave a homeless man who was eating out of the garbage some money. That man wasn't looking for handouts. He was minding his own business trying to find food. Those are the people who need the money. If people collectively stopped giving money to bums on the street, a lot of those people are going to try to get back on their feet.
Here's an interesting experiment: get ten one dollar bills. Rather than give a bum a dollar, hold out your hand so they can take it from you. Figure out percentage wise how many people will not take the dollar.
It's not a brilliant magazine really. It's got some TV and celeb gossip, bit a' news nothing amazing. It's really the helping the poor that gets you to buy it, I generally toss away the thing later as long as there's nothing I'm interested in on the cover. So, it wouldn't really cut into any market seeing as how you wouldn't really replace your normal magazine with the Big Issue.Plurralbles said:
What I mean by "can of worms" is in Britain where really the only sincere beggars are illegal immigrants (because the rest can get benefits) it adds another layer of argument saying should you give money to them if they are illegal immigrants? Personally I would but many wouldn't and it's pretty damn controversial.Craorach said:
Nope, since most beggars that I've seen work in gangs.
They pool the money together and each one gets a crutch or a sign or something so they look like shit.
Parasites are what they are.
They pool the money together and each one gets a crutch or a sign or something so they look like shit.
Parasites are what they are.
Well, I'll be honest in saying that I think you discount paranoia. A lot of homeless people and the like are going to be wary about just following strangers places. Even if legitimate an offer to a meal like that is in many cases going to be a prelude to some kind of shady offer, and there is the whole issue of feelings of obligation, and being dependant on the guy who bought you lunch for transportation if nothing else. If a person is REALLY homeless they don't want to get too far away from the area where they squat and probably have stuff stashed, even a couple of miles out of the area can be a fairly big deal.AccursedTheory said:
I'm not saying your dad isn't right in some cases, but understand that people do prey on the homeless and a lot of those people fall through the cracks regularly. If you've ever seen things like the "Bum Fights" videos (which incidently are not getting bums to fight, or rather not JUST getting bums to fight) and how long they got away with that it can be pretty shocking what people get away with doing to homeless people.
I'll also say that I grew up in a lot of residental facilities, I've mentioned my backround before. I've never been on the streets (thankfully) but knew a LOT of kids who were, and wound up with problems because of it, and wound up sitting through group therepy sessions and such with them. Simply put not getting into some dude's car to "go for lunch" is a survival thing because honestly, it's far easier for something terrible to happen to you if your on the streets than for a normal person.
THAT said, I admit that I have mixed opinions about giving people things right there on a street corner, or traffic intersection. Around where I live there isn't a lot of this, but
we get a few, especially around the holidays (which makes me a bit wary given the timing). It's probably better to drop your change into a collection bin at a Mcdonalds, or other store, for one of the homless charities if you see them. Groups like "The United Way" (who I donated a few bucks from my checks to back before I became disabled) seem pretty legitimate, and you know they are going to be using it to buy food or help pay the utilities for shelters and such rather than buying drugs or whatever else.
There is nothing wrong with giving charity, however in the world we live in it's understandable to be paranoid on all sides of equasions like this. Consider it a few jerks on both sides of the fence ruining trust for everyone.
Well, this depends. If everybody offers meals then the beggar can ONLY ever eat when people offer it. This is problematic for two. Firstly, if nobody offers anything for a long period of time, they starve. With money they could pace themselves so they don't go too long without eating. Second, they will likely be offered meals by people at certain points of day (just after rush-hour for example). Good luck eating seven breakfasts in an hour.AccursedTheory said:
if i have spare change i will.
but yes i do think its wrong to give money to beggars.
it sounds weird i know, but when they come up to you, you just want them to go away as fast as possible. (yes im shallow)
but yes i do think its wrong to give money to beggars.
it sounds weird i know, but when they come up to you, you just want them to go away as fast as possible. (yes im shallow)
I'll repost this bit from an earlier post, probably worth it;HerbertTheHamster said:
"A politician came up with the quote at the time..."There's a difference between begging and mugging". If you feel threatened in any way it's the latter"
I'll try and do a google search find out who said it!
The key to reducing the homeless population is simply to reduce their population. Starving them out is a slow roundabout way to do it and it isn't working. In Canada there are a ton of jobs and a ton of unfilled positions as well as a very high unemployment rate. We can't cure lazy by throwing money at it.
