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To give or not to give

Submitted by Renee Obsidianwords on July 6, 2008 - 8:37pm.

I am walking down a busy city street. The street is filled with people walking with purpose and in rhythmic strides. I walk to this cadence for quite a few blocks hoping my destination will soon approach when up to my left I notice a man sitting against a building strumming a guitar. The tune is faint as I approach, reaching its apex as I reach his open guitar case. I stop for a moment taking in the entire scene; the disheveled 30- something guitarist (or maybe early 20's... I can't be sure as he is in rough shape) the few one dollar bills thrown into the open guitar case, the few people gathered around to watch..

He ends his song and the few of us still standing there offer a round of applause. As I made a move to continue on my way I noticed one person throw a five dollar bill into the case. I had no cash to give and I couldn't help but wonder what this man would be doing with the money at the end of his performances that day. I am not one to stereotype but my first thought was; this guy will have plenty of drugs tonight. So what did I do? I gave him a $5 gift card to Panera bread. The look on his face was one of confusion...I thanked him for the wonderful song and wished him a pleasant day. As I walked away I saw him grab the card and look at it as if I had given him a chunk of rock.

This happened about 10 years ago. Over the past few years I have had a chance to work with homeless and down and out adults and have learned that giving cash to someone on the street is more then likely just supporting a habit of drinking or drugs. I now keep a stash of $5 gift cards to local food places to hand out in lieu of cash. The person receiving the card may give me a strange look but I feel much better about how they may use it!

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There is a huge difference

Submitted by Hambydammit on July 6, 2008 - 9:25pm.

There is a huge difference between the average homeless person and the average street bum. I'm not just saying that -- it's well documented. The average homeless person in America is busting their ass trying not to be homeless anymore. Most of them have kids.

The average bum actually has a place to live, and usually doesn't have dependents. (If they do, they're usually well into deadbeat status, and don't tend to have a lot of contact with them. Granted, the place to live may be a tent city or a homeless shelter, or someone's couch, but it is a place to live. Drug dependence is highly correlated with street beggars, and not nearly so much with the homeless.

Don't get me started on the government's propaganda machine that works so hard to demonize homelessness instead of identifying it as what it is -- a failure of the government to provide adequate economic conditions, and for the inevitable families that slip through the cracks, real financial aid.

Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin

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Hambydammit wrote:There is a

Submitted by Renee Obsidianwords on July 6, 2008 - 9:38pm.

Hambydammit wrote:

There is a huge difference between the average homeless person and the average street bum. I'm not just saying that -- it's well documented. The average homeless person in America is busting their ass trying not to be homeless anymore. Most of them have kids.
The average bum actually has a place to live, and usually doesn't have dependents. (If they do, they're usually well into deadbeat status, and don't tend to have a lot of contact with them. Granted, the place to live may be a tent city or a homeless shelter, or someone's couch, but it is a place to live. Drug dependence is highly correlated with street beggars, and not nearly so much with the homeless.
Don't get me started on the government's propaganda machine that works so hard to demonize homelessness instead of identifying it as what it is -- a failure of the government to provide adequate economic conditions, and for the inevitable families that slip through the cracks, real financial aid.

Thanks for drawing out the difference. Those I have had contact with in shelters ARE trying to get ahead and it is so sad how many have children.