Observation or Overreaction?

RealDealNeverstop · Apr 15, 2008

Being in Boston I grew accustomed to panhandlers asking for money at the doorways of convenience stores and coffee shops. I rarely give any money but almost always offer food and advice on where to go to get off the streets. These peeps are homeless for whatever reason and most feel alone in the world so I see it as a duty to help when possible without asking them to forsake their personal responsibilities. Over the past couple of summers a new trend in the same form has gained popularity. But it's not homeless people doing the begging. It's not alcoholics. It's not strung out druggies. It's highschool kids asking for money to support their X Team. I never give them money and if I do say anything to them it will be something like 'Ya'll need to do a car wash or some type of labor to earn that money. If you can play sports, you can work.' Other times I have asked if their parents/teachers know what they are doing and the answer has always been 'Yes.' Then I tell them they should say to their parents they are not doing their job by teaching young kids the way to make money is to simply ask for it. Some of the kids know exactly what I mean, others are clueless, and I don't think I've made any cry though a couple have left their post after asking me for cash. So what is it about our culture that is teaching young peeps begging for money is how they can support themselves? NOTE: I am not a psychic but I forsee a possibility some will do their best to polarize and dumb down the issue with the Conservative/Liberal mantra. I won't waste any time responding to such simple excuses and hope others won't feed into it as well. This is our culture, very complex, and it cannot be reduced to such ignorant levels.

Conspiracy Theory · Apr 15, 2008

How crool and heartless!

j/k

In all seriousness, that's a good answer.

RealDealNeverstop · Apr 15, 2008

See, iam not just a big meany on cf, I spread that love irl too! Lol. It's something I find very disturbing. I know when I was in school the concept of panhandling to support activities was so alien nobody even suggested it in a joking manner. Let me also point out where I see this happening is in the demographics of caucasian middle class neighborhoods so it's not like these kids are coming from impoverished areas. I just can't fathom the justification.

DieHappy · Apr 15, 2008

You can't expect an athlete to lower himself to work at McDonalds! Come on, these guys are the cream of the high school crop and they deserve to be highly paid professional athletes. And if they fail at that, like 99.9999% of them will, well then mommy and daddy will accompany them to a job interview because they deserve a high paying job. And if they can't perform their job that's ok, because we can't fire anyone for incompetence anymore and the companies don't want to face an unlawful termination lawsuit so they'll give them a raise to management where they can't do as much damage.

Personal responsibility is so last millennium, man, get with the times.

Glaz · Apr 15, 2008

RealDealNeverstop said:
Being in Boston I grew accustomed to panhandlers asking for money at the doorways of convenience stores and coffee shops. I rarely give any money but almost always offer food and advice on where to go to get off the streets. These peeps are homeless for whatever reason and most feel alone in the world so I see it as a duty to help when possible without asking them to forsake their personal responsibilities. Over the past couple of summers a new trend in the same form has gained popularity. But it's not homeless people doing the begging. It's not alcoholics. It's not strung out druggies. It's highschool kids asking for money to support their X Team. I never give them money and if I do say anything to them it will be something like 'Ya'll need to do a car wash or some type of labor to earn that money. If you can play sports, you can work.' Other times I have asked if their parents/teachers know what they are doing and the answer has always been 'Yes.' Then I tell them they should say to their parents they are not doing their job by teaching young kids the way to make money is to simply ask for it. Some of the kids know exactly what I mean, others are clueless, and I don't think I've made any cry though a couple have left their post after asking me for cash. So what is it about our culture that is teaching young peeps begging for money is how they can support themselves? NOTE: I am not a psychic but I forsee a possibility some will do their best to polarize and dumb down the issue with the Conservative/Liberal mantra. I won't waste any time responding to such simple excuses and hope others won't feed into it as well. This is our culture, very complex, and it cannot be reduced to such ignorant levels.

The kids were probably lying, saying it's for their team so that people will be more willing to hand over the cash. Your doing the right thing not giving them money. Find out what school they go to and then call and find out if they are legitimately supporting outright begging on the streets. Then call the local news and make a stink about it!

flicka · Apr 15, 2008

I don't usually give my money to anyone I don't know. That's how I deal with it. Although I did give an elderly couple $10 for gas recently when I was next to them at a gas station and he couldn't find his wallet. Sometimes you just have to follow your heart...lol

Glaz · Apr 15, 2008

flicka said:
I don't usually give my money to anyone I don't know. That's how I deal with it. Although I did give an elderly couple $10 for gas recently when I was next to them at a gas station and he couldn't find his wallet. Sometimes you just have to follow your heart...lol

That's a nice thing to do.

keith99 · Apr 15, 2008

flicka said:
I don't usually give my money to anyone I don't know. That's how I deal with it. Although I did give an elderly couple $10 for gas recently when I was next to them at a gas station and he couldn't find his wallet. Sometimes you just have to follow your heart...lol

I wish the huge Rugby tournaments still happened. There used to be some pretty big ones. Figure 64 sides or so, each with 15 players at a time and almost all of us beer swigging types. (I do keep trying to upgrade teh choice of beer).

Why mention this on this thread? Well the days of huge tournaments are gone. Also back then there would always be some homeless types going through the trash looking for beer containers to redeem. I do with I had given one of them a nice bit of money. These were the ones willing to work, and that is the kind I'd like to help, not the ones who only beg.

KarrieTex · Apr 15, 2008

I don't know if that irks me more or the churches that are out there doing it as well.

I won't give to these type of "fund raisers".

KarrieTex · Apr 15, 2008

I also wonder if it is because they let it be known how much money the homeless guys make and the fact that it is acceptable now to have someone who is homeless under the local overpass.

Corey · Apr 15, 2008

RealDealNeverstop said:
Being in Boston I grew accustomed to panhandlers asking for money at the doorways of convenience stores and coffee shops. I rarely give any money but almost always offer food and advice on where to go to get off the streets. These peeps are homeless for whatever reason and most feel alone in the world so I see it as a duty to help when possible without asking them to forsake their personal responsibilities. Over the past couple of summers a new trend in the same form has gained popularity. But it's not homeless people doing the begging. It's not alcoholics. It's not strung out druggies. It's highschool kids asking for money to support their X Team. I never give them money and if I do say anything to them it will be something like 'Ya'll need to do a car wash or some type of labor to earn that money. If you can play sports, you can work.' Other times I have asked if their parents/teachers know what they are doing and the answer has always been 'Yes.' Then I tell them they should say to their parents they are not doing their job by teaching young kids the way to make money is to simply ask for it. Some of the kids know exactly what I mean, others are clueless, and I don't think I've made any cry though a couple have left their post after asking me for cash. So what is it about our culture that is teaching young peeps begging for money is how they can support themselves? NOTE: I am not a psychic but I forsee a possibility some will do their best to polarize and dumb down the issue with the Conservative/Liberal mantra. I won't waste any time responding to such simple excuses and hope others won't feed into it as well. This is our culture, very complex, and it cannot be reduced to such ignorant levels.

I think some of the other commenters are spot on. This sounds shady. Local school boosters would help raise money and for the most part, legitimate fund raisers also do something like car washes or selling stuff.

RealDealNeverstop · Apr 15, 2008

It's not a hoax. I've seen teammates with their parents, the shirts, and they have to get permission from the stores, at least the ones in suburbs. I understand the thought it must be a hoax because it's such a ludicrous form of fundraising. Once I almost got booted off a subway because a kid was selling candy bars as a fundraiser and a T employee told the kid he couldn't offer to sell the chocolate on the trains. I asked the T employee to take a look around at all the ads on the train trying to sell crap merchandise and explain why he was harrassing the kid. Few words were exchanged but when a couple of other passengers spoke up he backed down because he realized how silly it was to bust on a kid who was about 13. So while the kids who are actually doing something to earn the money get ranked on but those panhandling at stores have no problems I've seen. There have been as many girls as boys that I've encountered so I guess it's good to point out gender equality. tic

RealDealNeverstop · Apr 15, 2008

Diehappy, I agree personal responsibility has become diminished and another problem is how our culture glorifies athletes, actors, and politicians. We teach kids our justice system operates in different worlds depending on your status. This begins in high school when students see star athletes getting access and privileges not afforded to everyone. Obviously this isn't always true (michael vick) but future generations are in trouble if work ethics keep rolling in the panhandling direction.

KarrieTex · Apr 15, 2008

It begins MUCH EARLIER than high school. Much earlier

RealDealNeverstop · Apr 15, 2008

Iam sure they see that in movies, tv, or from listening to adults talk but I was referring to a 1st person encounter. It's one thing to see/hear about something but quite another to experience it first hand. So, I guess they are indoctrinated with this from a very young age from many areas so it makes sense they would identitfy with an entitlement persona versus a personal responsibility mindset.

KarrieTex · Apr 15, 2008

RealDealNeverstop said:
Iam sure they see that in movies, tv, or from listening to adults talk but I was referring to a 1st person encounter. It's one thing to see/hear about something but quite another to experience it first hand. So, I guess they are indoctrinated with this from a very young age from many areas so it makes sense they would identitfy with an entitlement persona versus a personal responsibility mindset.

Again that happens much much earlier....try pre teens

RealDealNeverstop · Apr 15, 2008

That's why I said 'very young age.'. The nuclear combination is our human development of the id and ego. Since we are innately prone to be self centered as kids our culture nurtures that instead of teaching young kids it's not all about them. So in many ways, kids are being trained to remain in a somewhat retarded stage between the ego and superego. This may also help explain why there are no popular political tv/radio shows with a format of progression. Instead, they are all centered on peeps of the same general scope that do nothing but complain about those outside of their respective circles. The threads on here magnify this point because how many threads are started on celebrating peeps of differing political views actually working together to achieve something? I don't think there has been a counter cultural movement since the 60's and with reality shows being popular like pro sports, we get taught and acquiesce to spending our lives watching other people live theirs. It's almost as if there is an unspoken surrender. Unless peeps are doing the sports or reality shows or singing bubble gum songs they do not see themselves as being every bit as worthy as those who are glorified. So, instead of working together as the norm instead of the exception, we are guaranteeing the problems we face today are going to be the same messes we bequeath to the younger generations. Okay, rambling done. For now.

Battie · Apr 15, 2008

I don't think you were overreacting. I have no problem buying food for someone who says he's homeless, because I can't know for sure either way. But asking for money for recreation just doesn't seem right. When I was in youth group/high school, we always did some service to raise funds.

Soooo many carwashes... SO many...

Observation or Overreaction?

Is Prayer Your First or Last Action?

I'm your huckleberry.

Is Prayer Your First or Last Action?

and I am A W E S O M E !!

Obama '08

Contributor

Obama '08

sola dosis facit venenum

HOOK EM HORNS

HOOK EM HORNS

Veteran

Is Prayer Your First or Last Action?

Is Prayer Your First or Last Action?

HOOK EM HORNS

Is Prayer Your First or Last Action?

HOOK EM HORNS

Is Prayer Your First or Last Action?

Veteran

Similar threads