Homelessness, begging, and what to do about it

#26
#26
lawgator1 said:
First, when I'm stopped at a red light and someone walks up with a handwritten sign asking for money I have such mixed emotions.

The human in me take south on them and tells me to give them a handful of change I'll probably never use, or a dollar if one is sitting out. They often seem in genuine pain.

But then I remind myself, it's pain in the moment and that odds are well over 90 pct that whatever I give them would go to alcohol or drugs or both. And then I convince myself that not giving them money is more moral to not contribute to the cycle.

I see in the news today that the feds are giving Orlando $12 million to address homelessness. If it goes to temporary shelter for those who have had a bad situation arise, I'm fine with it. If it's just more kicking this can down the road, it's hurting and not helping.

So anyway, my mixture of guilt and righteous indignation on this is finished. Wondering how other people rationalize giving or not giving when they encounter someone at the traffic light.
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Easy….bring back all the manufacturing. These were good paying jobs that people not college bound could find a career in. Now it’s Walmart at 12 and hour.
 
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#27
#27
lawgator1 said:
First, when I'm stopped at a red light and someone walks up with a handwritten sign asking for money I have such mixed emotions.

The human in me take south on them and tells me to give them a handful of change I'll probably never use, or a dollar if one is sitting out. They often seem in genuine pain.

But then I remind myself, it's pain in the moment and that odds are well over 90 pct that whatever I give them would go to alcohol or drugs or both. And then I convince myself that not giving them money is more moral to not contribute to the cycle.

I see in the news today that the feds are giving Orlando $12 million to address homelessness. If it goes to temporary shelter for those who have had a bad situation arise, I'm fine with it. If it's just more kicking this can down the road, it's hurting and not helping.

So anyway, my mixture of guilt and righteous indignation on this is finished. Wondering how other people rationalize giving or not giving when they encounter someone at the traffic light.
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Our government should address this first before sending billions to foreign countries, my opinion. That said, I understand feeling that what you give will go to drugs or alcohol, but you never really know. I admit I don't always give to people, because sometimes I know the situation. We have a guy here, who for years, sat out on the side 9f the road begging, young guy. Me and my old pastor were out one day visiting some folks, and he stopped to talk to this young man. He offered to help get him a job, and the guy laughed, and said there's no way he's working, cause he makes too much money doing what he was doing. Eventually, this guy started setting out an older man, and an older woman at different places in town. I've literally watched him drop them both off, and stop to collect their money. I don't give to them, because I know the story. I have at times, and some may laugh, felt led to stop and help. I look at it like I'm doing what I feel is right, and what they do with it is between them and God.
 
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#29
#29
McDad said:
I chased a guy in a bus station in little rock Arkansas about 30 years ago with my granola bars. He approached me for money bc he was hungry. I offered him my granola, he ran away and I (kinda) chased after him.
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Cause I was a teenager, and you offered me the granola bar while you were naked!!
 
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#31
#31
DancingOutlaw said:
My wife and I were leaving the very exotic pizza establishment Barley's in Asheville one night and there's an area near there that homeless people congregate to panhandle. A dude talking on a cell phone walks up to me and asks if I have any money. I said no but you can have my pizza. He paused, rolled his eyes and took it. I think I laughed for two minutes straight. I thought this must be quite the setup if the homeless have suddenly gotten picky.
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You should have told him to cancel his wireless plan and sell the damn cell phone. Then he would have money.
 
#34
#34
McDad said:
My conundrum is the homeless population isn't homogeneous. I believe there are 4 strata.
1. People in a bad set of circumstances (domestic situations, work disruptions, in between housing). Some of these people are able to go through their temporary circumstances and no one knows they're homless.
2. The mentally ill who are off meds, not well managed medically, or not severe enough for a facility but not well enough to go without compliance.
3. Those caught in addiction.
4. Those who are free spirits and willing choose a nomadic life.

I feel genuine empathy for those in category 1.
I feel unable to help appropriately those in 2 and 3.
I respect and somewhat admire those in category 4.
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You left one out. Sex offenders, murderers and other felons who ride the buses and trains all over to other states to avoid prison
 
#41
#41
McDad said:
How can you not admire someone willing to life completely free, minimally, and simply?
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Sex offenders, murderers and other felons? I sleep just fine every night without admiring any of those guys. Actually, now that I think more about it, I don’t admire any of your other “free spirits leading a nomadic life” either because they’re willfully choosing to try to live off of other people’s direct handouts and government assistance (taxpayer dollars - onec again, other people’s money). Now, if they live in the woods, are off the grid, and hunt and fish to survive without taking handouts, I can admire that. However, that’s not what we’re talking about here.
 
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#45
#45
Vol423 said:
Sex offenders, murderers and other felons? I sleep just fine every night without admiring any of those guys. Actually, now that I think more about it, I don’t admire any of your other “free spirits leading a nomadic life” either because they’re willfully choosing to try to live off of other people’s direct handouts and government assistance (taxpayer dollars - onec again, other people’s money). Now, if they live in the woods, are off the grid, and hunt and fish to survive without taking handouts, I can admire that. However, that’s not what we’re talking about here.
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We aren't talking about the same people.

But I'm at peace if you don't admire people I do.
 
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#46
#46
Vol423 said:
Sex offenders, murderers and other felons? I sleep just fine every night without admiring any of those guys. Actually, now that I think more about it, I don’t admire any of your other “free spirits leading a nomadic life” either because they’re willfully choosing to try to live off of other people’s direct handouts and government assistance (taxpayer dollars - onec again, other people’s money). Now, if they live in the woods, are off the grid, and hunt and fish to survive without taking handouts, I can admire that. However, that’s not what we’re talking about here.
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Wow it's like you didn't take a moment to consider what he was talking about.
 
#47
#47
Giving a mentally ill person $3.00 won't help them a damn bit. Neither will it help a drug addict. It may possibly help a down and out person, but to a trivial degree. It sounds harsh, but I err on the side of letting other people's problems be their problems. I can't fix their sh*t if they can't, so I'll just stay out of it.
 
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#48
#48
lawgator1 said:
First, when I'm stopped at a red light and someone walks up with a handwritten sign asking for money I have such mixed emotions.

The human in me take south on them and tells me to give them a handful of change I'll probably never use, or a dollar if one is sitting out. They often seem in genuine pain.

But then I remind myself, it's pain in the moment and that odds are well over 90 pct that whatever I give them would go to alcohol or drugs or both. And then I convince myself that not giving them money is more moral to not contribute to the cycle.

I see in the news today that the feds are giving Orlando $12 million to address homelessness. If it goes to temporary shelter for those who have had a bad situation arise, I'm fine with it. If it's just more kicking this can down the road, it's hurting and not helping.

So anyway, my mixture of guilt and righteous indignation on this is finished. Wondering how other people rationalize giving or not giving when they encounter someone at the traffic light.
Click to expand...
I give food only.
 
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#49
#49
volfanhill said:
Wow it's like you didn't take a moment to consider what he was talking about.
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No. Actually I did. I responded to a specific post, and I considered it in the context of what were're discussing in this thread: panhandlers.
 
#50
#50
lawgator1 said:
First, when I'm stopped at a red light and someone walks up with a handwritten sign asking for money I have such mixed emotions.

The human in me take south on them and tells me to give them a handful of change I'll probably never use, or a dollar if one is sitting out. They often seem in genuine pain.

But then I remind myself, it's pain in the moment and that odds are well over 90 pct that whatever I give them would go to alcohol or drugs or both. And then I convince myself that not giving them money is more moral to not contribute to the cycle.

I see in the news today that the feds are giving Orlando $12 million to address homelessness. If it goes to temporary shelter for those who have had a bad situation arise, I'm fine with it. If it's just more kicking this can down the road, it's hurting and not helping.

So anyway, my mixture of guilt and righteous indignation on this is finished. Wondering how other people rationalize giving or not giving when they encounter someone at the traffic light.
Click to expand...
That's why most days, when I'm working out in the field and not at home, I will bring extra bottles of water and snacks. If I happen to run across someone who is homeless I will offer them that. I haven't had anyone refuse a bottle of water, bag of chips, crackers, etc.

If someone is homeless and they say they are a veteran there is actually help they can get if they go to the VA.

Knoxville itself should have better homeless services but when you have a democrat mayor and democrat majority city council you get what you vote for. It's not a problem they intend to fix.
 
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