Homeless people

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Beggars can't be choosers. Statistically speaking, I'm going to be more correct on this one than you are. Drug and alcohol dependency is a big reason people end up on the street.

These are both mental illnesses as well. It's hard to get someone with an addiction through a rehab program period, let alone follow up with them and make sure they don't revert back to old habits. Welfare and state health is just in poor shape.
I'd rather give these people something to eat but yeah...just saying, addiction is a genetically pre-disposed illness, one that will cripple your life.

[Tom Earp]

While there are people who can do and wont, yes, there are people who cant and cannot really get any help.

One good example is a fellow who would sit in a parking lot with a sign saying will work for food. He was offered money to work clean up jobs and would not take them. He would bring his cache of food items and trade for a bottle of cheap wine.

He had family who offered him a place to live but wouldnt do it!

Remember, there are those who are panderers and more and more citys are passing ordinances for this very fact.

I have seen some who wear better clothes than I do.

Some alos have more money than some would think! Beats the hell out of an office or manual labor job.

But like Kevin, if I gave to every swinging begger, I could not afford to live either.

Scam to many times is what it is.

[Drolefille]

Are you saying you traded homeless people wine for food?

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Are you saying you traded homeless people wine for food?

Yes, and just what is your problem?

I knew this person and what his situation was not some little trivial thing you want to make it out to be!

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Yes, and just what is your problem?

I knew this person and what his situation was not some little trivial thing you want to make it out to be!

I'm going to tell you that I have an issue with you enabling someone. It would have been far better if you'd gotten him help. Particularly if he was self medicating a physical or psychological ailment.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

I'm going to tell you that I have an issue with you enabling someone. It would have been far better if you'd gotten him help. Particularly if he was self medicating a physical or psychological ailment.

You have no clue about the situation and about the person so why do you want to put some input in about a person who you have no knowledge about?

There are people in need who need help and others who do not want help!

So, who are your to judge what they want to do?

I was in need and luckly got help when I got divorced and she took everything.

I worked my ass off all of my life, maybe you did or not,but until you have been there, climb off.

If you do not know then do not judge about what others think!

Kevin is saying, they ahve the opportunity to get help and do not and I would not give them money either!

If you wish to, then knock yourself out and quite bitching about us who get tired of it!

When you donate your self into the poor house, do not come and ask for alms oh poor person!

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

You have no clue about the situation and about the person so why do you want to put some input in about a person who you have no knowledge about?

There are people in need who need help and others who do not want help!

So, who are your to judge what they want to do?

I was in need and luckly got help when I got divorced and she took everything.

I worked my ass off all of my life, maybe you did or not,but until you have been there, climb off.

If you do not know then do not judge about what others think!

Kevin is saying, they ahve the opportunity to get help and do not and I would not give them money either!

If you wish to, then knock yourself out and quite bitching about us who get tired of it!

When you donate your self into the poor house, do not come and ask for alms oh poor person!

Uh huh, You won't give them money but you'll give them wine in exchange for the food they've been given? I really really doubt you can justify that. The rest of your post has zero bearing on that point.

[FSUZeta]

when i lived in jacksonville, i worked downtown. near my office was a park. on nice days i liked to sit in the park and eat my sandwich, which i had made at home, because i was just starting out and lived from paycheck to paycheck. i was accosted daily by panhandlers, from "hey, lady, give me some money" to "give me your lunch" to sexual innuendos. when one really scary man kept following me on my lunch hour, i spoke to a policeman on patrol and he basically told me that while he would be happy to speak to the man and tell him to leave me alone, unless he physically harmed me, there was nothing he could really do-that he would be violating the guys rights. when i asked him about my rights, he just shrugged his shoulders. i should have been able to sit on a park bench, eat my sandwich and enjoy the weather, without being bothered. kevin and his wife should have been able to walk to the botanical gardens unsolicitied.

3 true stories:

while running an errand one day, i saw a pitiful looking man by the side of the road holding a sign. the sign said that he and his family were homeless and he was willing to work for food or diapers. it broke my heart. i called my husband in tears and he said that he was near that location and he would speak to the man and offer him a job(we owned a construction co.) when my husband offered the man a job, the man wanted to know what he would be doing. my husband told him that he would be helping to keep the shop clean and would be assisting some of the employees-it might be working with a carpenter one day, working with a concrete worker another, etc. he would start him at $10 and as he acquired skills he would receive raises. the man thought for a moment and then told my husband that no, he would rather stand on the street corner holding his sign, because he could make more money just standing there and would not have to do physical labor. near the mans outpost were several fastfood places with "help wanted" signs- my husband asked him if he had thought about getting a job at any of those businesses-the man reiterated that he could just stand on the corner and people would give him money, so why should he get a job?

story #2- hubby and i stopped in bradenton, fl at a gas station. there was a man standing at the road, holding a sign"will work for food" at the entrance to the shopping center. i remained in the car while my husband filled up the tank and also while he went in to go to the bathroom and get drinks for us. during this time, the man with the sign goes into the gas station store, comes back out with one of those big cans of beer.he walks around the side of the free standing carwash. another man comes out from behind the carwash, assumes the position on the road of the original man and holds up the "will work for food sign". i guess it was 2nd shift.

story #3-my family and my mother were in a schlotzsky's in tallahassee. as i was paying for our food, a man, who appeared to be homeless, was scrounging in his pockets for some change to buy a bowl of soup. i leaned over to the girl waiting on me, and whispered that i would like to pay for whatever that man would like to eat, but i wanted to remain anonymous. i gave her a $20 and said just to bring me the change after the man left. she undoubtedly told the man who had paid for his food, because he came up to our table and thanked us. then the girl brought me the change-he had only bought a bowl of soup. it was a very humbling experience for me.

point is, there are scammers out there-sorry people who would rather degrade themselves than try to earn an honest living. then there are those people who truly need a little help. if the situation feels right to you and you are in a position to help, do so. if the situation feels bogus or you feel uncomfortable for some reason, don't feel obligated to help.

those of us who work are contributing tax dollars to social services that are available to people in need. many of us also contribute to charitable institutions which provide social services to people in need. just tithing at church can go a long way toward helping one person down on their luck. it is our choice if and how we choose to spend our money.