I’ll give some change or a dollar when I have cash on me, and I contribute to food banks.
Until we fix the severely broken mental health care system in this country we are going to have homeless. The push toward “de-institutionalization” in the '70’s resulted in a number of people having no place to go. Their mental health issues have worn out their families, who will no longer take them in. (In many cases I completely understand.) Many of them end up in jail.
It is a fact of life that some people cannot function on their on. It’s not a large segment of the population, but they are there and they slip through the cracks, ending up homeless and self-medication to try to stop the “voices” or the pain or however their illness manifests.
Unfortunately a lot of people behave like animals a lot of the time. (Yes, I know that technically all people are animals but you know what I mean.) The grip of drug addiction can really undermine a person’s ability to act in a civilized way.
I’ve given a few times. Most I’ve given a bum was 20 bucks, but that’s because he seemed intelligent and he didn’t ask (although it was plain to see he was homeless).
I’ve also (occasionally) given a buck or two to people I’ve seen sitting outside (who are obviously homeless), but who I’ve witnessed not ask anyone who passed (including me) for any handouts.
Once again, living on the streets can rip the civilization right out of you. Poor food, little sleep, no possessions to speak of, no friends to turn to, dirty clothes, dirty body, and the utter indignity of either begging to use a bathroom or pissing in an alley. It doesn’t take too damn long before you look and act like a drug addict whether you are one or not…and not too long after that before you would welcome any drug that would allow you even false and temporary escape from that miserable life.
Assuming for the sake of argument that that’s all true, it confirms my view that it’s a form of selfishness to give money directly to these people. If you want to help them, give (anonymously) to organizations which help these people get cleaned up and don’t tell anyone about it.
Donating to charities and various organizations is great but for these lost souls you encounter on the streets now, the sad truth is “saving them” is very likely not going to happen. So who the hell am I to pass judgment over their lowly requests for pocket change?? I’d probably end up losing that 75 cents laying around in my jeans anyway.
This is exactly correct. All you are doing, in all likelihood, is enabling them to live a destructive lifestyle. The added downside is it reinforces the obnoxious behavior. For the most part, we don’t have that problem in Virginia, where they don’t tolerate it.
However, one of my offices is in Rockville MD; their political culture almost encourages the panhandling, which is why we have dozens of homeless guys ‘working’ the intersections up and down, and around, Rockville Pike (the main drag). That seems pretty dangerous to me.
More often than not, I’ll give. I’m under no illusions that the money is likely to be spent wisely; I’ve spent to mucb time working with the homeless to think that. But if they choose to spend my charity to shoot up or get drunk, that’s between them and their conscience. If I say “screw off,” it’s between me and mine.
There are exceptions: I do not give to people who I think are obviously lying to me or trying to run a scam, and I do not give to people that are, IMO, deliberately inconveniencing/guilt tripping people.
Ask, and I’ll probably give. Lie or try to bully me, and it’s screw you.
While not arguing with much of what you say, IME nearly all overnight shelters do some kind of dinner and breakfast. May only be cornflakes and coffee, but IF you’re in shelter, some kind of breakfast is the norm.
Glanced at it yeah. In my area (NYC) there are tons of resources for homeless people.
I concede that there might be some parts of the country where there are not.
But either way, giving to homeless people is a form of selfishness. Because the reality is that they will in all likelihood spend the money on drugs or alcohol. By giving them money you are just indulging yourself in a fantasy that you are actually helping another human being. When the reality is that you are helping them to hurt themselves and also encouraging them to annoy other people. All so that you can have a smug feeling of moral superiority.
In Portland there are two general shelters in town that are open at night, a couple more that are for Vets. For women and children there are a couple in town and 4 more from 8 to 16 miles from town…and waiting lists for all these. Food and space is limited for all shelters, and since you have to get in line early to stand a chance of getting in, you don’t stand much of a chance of getting in another shelter if the one you are in line for fills up. Teens have it much worse in that they are prey in the adult shelters and not part of a family for the family(women and children) shelters.
If that excuse allows you to sleep at night, more power to you. I, on the other hand, remember what it was like and how complicated the real truth of the matter is.