Homeless people

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I think we all can. I imagine all of us have run across the scammer-bumm who really doesn't want to work, and that can color our perspectives.

For me, this is perhaps the area of life where my instinctual reactions and my religious/spiritual values have the hardest time sorting each other out. I would rather not be faced with the begger -- although I don't think I've actually gone out of my way to avoid one. Sometimes I've given money, sometimes I haven't. Sometimes I have given or bought food to a homeless person, more often I probably haven't. Often, I refer or take them to a church or an agency equipped to help. I can rationalize my refusal to give money by telling myself that they'll only spend the money on drugs and alcohol 'til the cows come home, but then the religious side butts in: "Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or naked . . . ?"

Amen

[WVU alpha phi]

While I feel sympathy towards the homeless, I still am irritated with them. I live on the street with all the bars/restaurants in Morgantown, and there are 2 or 3 homeless people who are consistently around. One of them keeps to himself, never asks for money, and he doesn't bother me at all. The other one sits outside all day asking "Have any change?" with a damn box of oranges, a sombrero on his head, and shaking maracas. I never give him money because I constantly see peope giving him A LOT of money, plus I really don't appreciate being asked for money when I'm walking to class. I'm much more likely to buy a homeless person a sandwich or give them my leftovers from a restaurant than give them a 5 dollar bill - especially when I've done this in the past to some bum who gave me a lame story about needing a bus ticket to Pittsburgh, then harassed my friend with the same story a week later. I feel bad for people who are trying to get on their feet, and I realize it must be horrible for them to see priveleged college students blowing money at the bar, but I'm not about to hand out my parents' hard earned money to them.