[Kevin]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

The reality is that usually we don't really know. We can assume and guess, but we don't know for sure unless we actually take some time with the person, and even then can we know for sure? Occasionally it may be pretty obvious that someone is trying to pull one over on us, but in my experience, that is the exception rather than the rule.

I just don't think that's the case around here. What may be true in whatever big city you live in, OKC's homeless problem is still of a manageable size. The city does a decent job of managing the problem. The fact that an individual is standing in front of me and talking to me is testimony to the fact that they know help exists (they haven't died of starvation and they're within close proximity of the homeless shelter and related services, so it's a safe bet). If they're not of able body/mind, there are government programs which will provide them with food, money and shelter. Sure, the Rehnquist court said we can't pluck them off the streets and throw them into an institution, but these people still have the ability to self-commit or apply for treatment programs which are not at capacity. If they have the ability to walk around and beg, they have the ability to ask for help from someone who is actually set up to provide real help.

So we're left to make some snap judgments -- do we show some compassion and risk enabling someone's addiction -- maybe even making things worse for them -- or rewarding a scammer? Do we refuse to enable the addict or reward the scammer and risk failing to show compassion to someone who truly needs it?

Neither act is really compassionate. Giving money to the homeless is something which ultimately harms them (as I discussed above). Also, as you pointed out, the "homeless" I discussed above probably aren't actually even homeless.

Things get even trickier when you have kids. How do I demonstrate to my kids the need to be careful and also the need to practice the values we are trying to teach them?

That's a pretty easy one. It seems the benefit of teaching a valuable lesson would outweigh the harm it does to the "homeless" person. I personally don't care about that other person. I think younger kids would benefit from the lesson, but I think older kids would benefit more from a lesson about how things (and people) aren't always what they appear to be.