Story encourages begging on streets
Published 11:35 am Monday, June 24, 2013
Story encourages begging on streets
Regarding the article, “Man finds a life on downtown street”, (June 21, 2013), you are glorifying begging and helping to drive people away from downtown. You are helping to remove shame from what for decades has been rightly considered a shameful pursuit.
In this country, nobody needs to beg. There are plenty of taxpayer-provided and privately funded programs to assist the poor. These programs ask for almost no accountability (drug use, warrants for arrest) so there is no excuse to not accept the help they provide – except laziness.
That’s right, I said it.
Many beggars simply find it easier (and in no way shameful) to just bypass the system and take their desire for cash right to the people on our city’s streets. This behavior is on the increase, not because poverty is on the increase, but because we as a society are welcoming it.
I fear that people who don’t follow the news will wrongly conclude that the increase in street corner begging is an indicator that our country’s taxpayers are unable or unwilling to help the poor.
Please ask yourself: “If I give cash to Dave, will this help him out so he no longer needs to beg, or will this encourage him (and others) to stay on the city streets.”
Just close your eyes and imagine a “Dave” on every street corner and every freeway exit in your city, then ask yourself “Why did we let this get so out of hand?”
The answer is guilt, naiveté and gullibility.
John Carpine, Seattle
