I always give..

What is a dollar, or food?

Have any of you ever sat down and ate with a homeless person? I have, they have some very interesting, and sometimes sad lives.

i don't have a fixed strategy.

though i do remember being in church once and listening to a sermon in which the vicar said basically - who are we to judge if somebody uses the money we give them to buy alcohol or get a fix? these people are in a terrible situation and if that's how they find some respite, then that's how they find it; ideal though it obviously isn't.

anyway, that had some resonance for me.

though, having said that, this vicar then got himself into the national press because he ran off with another vicar's wife and left the church. so fuck knows what to think.


[Edited 4/21/05 5:31am]

TheFrog said:

I totally agree with what you said, I used to judge drug/alcohol dependents on the street too harshly falsly believing they didn't have to be there

sadly it's not true and having started working with this group of people recently i know how hard they have to fight for even the simplest of pleasures.

There are not always places hostiles for homeless people to go to, and who am i to judge if at the end of the day when they have to sleep rough in a cold door way if they want to spend the last £10 they have on heroin so be it, infact i think if I would probably do the same myself. Life is hard for these people and giving to organisations rarely targets the people who need the money the most, so what if it's not our idea of a good use for the money if it makes there life a little more bearable.

I think about it as that at the end of the day if i have to sleep in a door way and it's -2 what is gonna make me feel better shooting up or a cup of soup, not a hard choice is it, oblivion from problems or just a full belly

brummytwat said:

i would probably do exactly the same too.

won't you please stay?

testicleman said:

Jon stop.

brummytwat said:

k

testicleman said:

and that too

you know that means the same as ok

brummytwat said:

k

testicleman said:

brummytwat said:

stop it toni.

testicleman said:

k

brummytwat said:

loser.

testicleman said:

yeah you get used to it, I play it for my advantage now, sympathy points go a long way

I do it sometimez, but generally i watch them, and it IS sad dat they are experiencing such circumstancez...but at da sametimez, there are homes dat can take them in- so why then should they be begging. I also like 2 know they really ARE using da money for food- cause i ain't contributing 2 noone wasting their livez away

Sometimez i dont (give money 2 beggerz)- i do worry dat they see lil old me wif all my bagz, and all i need do is come across someone who seez my wallet and holdz me for ransom or sumfinz... -haven't experienced this but i do wonderz!

Most of da time my change is used on lunch anywayz but if da person really has a genuine vybe of desperation- if i have, i don't mind givingz.

Having said what i've mentioned though...if dat person is a 'crook' what makes him or her any different 2 da rat packz who are also crookz but just about managed to really make it in da world and make money out of it...having millionz bow down 2 them cause of da dollar signz they possess.

Give anyone a suit and a tie or a sophisticated dress and they can pull anything off. It'z da way da world can be. It'z a side of da story dat isn't pleasant. But it seemz so unfortunately true. It'z a dog eat dog place.

Now i'm gettin reminded of dat movie Trading Places

I'm just sayin...

I feed them if I have the money and they get the change if its in my pocket.

Homeless people should not be judged, period. There are school teachers sleeping in their cars because of circumstances we know nothing about but they still teach. Some homeless are mentally ill and the list is endless to why people are in that position.

To hear people treat another person like shit because they're homeless makes me want to smash their face in. The arrogance of some people is beyond comprehension.

but that's just me