How strange that in the same 24 hours we should both have an experience where we opened our hearts to a homeless man, last night I listened to ones tales of woe (though they were dijointed and almost impossible to really piece together) and I sat with him, even giving him a cup of hot ramen and eating with the gentleman. Nice guy whoever he was.
Blehh - Being born in Brooklyn, and spending the summers in Jersey City, I see this a lot too... but try to tune it out, much to my dismay. I used to feel sorry for all the ones I saw; the ones holding up the cardboard signs... until I took a closer look at some of them.
Specifically, I remember the one guy. He was dirty, his clothes ratty, etc... he looked like a bum, but... when I mentioned this to my uncle, he told me to look closer: this particular guy had sparkling white teeth, and on his ears... diamond earrings. And yes, he had a shiny watch too. He was scamming everyone around him, who was giving him change.
While I do know there are people who actually need help.. guys like that, who don't really need it, but leech off of others for money... make me sad.
The other idea is that as long as people help, these people never fix their problems. Not working should result in poverty in death - that's what keeps us doing things we don't want to do. Mankind does not need a tick on his ass.
Not trying to be absurd, just voicing the counter-argument.
Yeah. I feel a little bad for not handing out the cash sometimes, but i work for my money. We have a few day labourer organizations here (Labour Ready/Labour Unlimited/Work Force) where you can walk in, register up, they get you a job to work at for the day AND THE STUFF YOU NEED FOR WORKING. Hard hat, hammer, boots and hi-vis vests. You get paid at the end of the day and congrats, you've earned your $100. I'm guessing its about $12/hr(CDN) more or less depending on how good you are.
This knowledge, and knowing that the guy hiring you through the agency is paying out $19/hr for your service(overhead charges etc) who if impressed might offer you full time work for something in between that, makes me not feel too bad for people who work in some places and not make too much or get enough hours. Work is out there(for now anyways) You just need to go out and get it.
Work is out there, I know, but this guy looked like he couldn't get a shower. Plus, he's always wearing the same clothes so he probably can't wash much, either. I have a deep care for the elderly, so it just got to me a little more. Homeless folks are one thing, OLD homeless are another.
We were reading a part of "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" in Humanities and passed a part where Stephen, the title character, examines hungrily a candy bar sticking out of his friend's pocket. At this point our teacher stops and tells a story of when he was on the metro in France, where a woman gave one of these "subway speeches" about being laid off from work, lost her home, et cetera. He personally did not give anything because he didn't trust these people, but someone else gave her a candy bar, which was all they had on them to give at the time. This woman got off the metro at the same time as my teacher and he watched as she just devoured this candy bar like it was the first thing she'd had to eat all week.
Anyway, the hobos in our area are pretty much genuine, and I try to give what I can.
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Specifically, I remember the one guy. He was dirty, his clothes ratty, etc... he looked like a bum, but... when I mentioned this to my uncle, he told me to look closer: this particular guy had sparkling white teeth, and on his ears... diamond earrings. And yes, he had a shiny watch too. He was scamming everyone around him, who was giving him change.
While I do know there are people who actually need help.. guys like that, who don't really need it, but leech off of others for money... make me sad.
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Not trying to be absurd, just voicing the counter-argument.
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This knowledge, and knowing that the guy hiring you through the agency is paying out $19/hr for your service(overhead charges etc) who if impressed might offer you full time work for something in between that, makes me not feel too bad for people who work in some places and not make too much or get enough hours. Work is out there(for now anyways) You just need to go out and get it.
Maybe i'm just cold and heartless.
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What can old men do? Telemarketing?
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Anyway, the hobos in our area are pretty much genuine, and I try to give what I can.
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