To Beg Or Not To Beg
There’s a small story that goes with this meme. The story is in response to an intelligent, articulate and talented homeless (Mr D) critic of my radical thinking:
“If beggary is one of the oldest professions, alms-giving is the inventor of that profession. Blaming charity for disgracing human dignity on the streets may sound like a radical thinking.”
To Beg or Not To Beg
(Hey D, didn’t I confess my take on alms giving was radical? Radical it may be in challenging the status quo, but let me tell you a real life story and then decide if my radicalism has any rationality. So here's the story)
As I stepped out of my car in front of a shop to pick up some snacks, I was greeted by a kid in his late pre-teen years. With all his God-given senses and corporeal being in full glory, he extended his right begging hand towards me while his left hand moving from his stomach to his mouth. “If you are a compassionate man show some kindness to this unfortunate hungry street child”, was clearly the meaning his gestures communicated.
“Am I a compassionate man?” I asked myself. What would I do to prove to myself that I do empathize with the unfortunate street children like him? Give him what he is asking for? Sure, that’s what any good heart would do and move on.
But, I stopped.
Stopped, to open a conversation with this homeless street kid, “hey kid, do you go to school?”
“No, I am homeless and hungry,” was his answer repeating his hungry gestures.
“Please wait here, I’ll pick some snacks from the shop, take you to my home, give you a nice shower, give you clean clothes, give you a place to live, and send you to school. How does that sound?” Walking towards the shop I told him.
Thinking what more a street child would need to make his life meaningfully productive, and what better satisfaction I can get than transforming the life of a street child, I stepped out of the shop with my shopping bag in my hand. I looked around for him. He wasn’t there. He disappeared. He deprived me of that opportunity to do some good to humanity
Well, that wasn’t the first time my compassion offered to help an unfortunate soul, who performed the disappearing act. After umpteen repetitions of my compassionate offerings to these street actors, I learned that they would flee as soon as I offered them more life-changing tangible things instead of throwing a few bucks on their platter.
To beg or not to beg is no more a question for those experienced in the profession, for they’ve already killed their conscience to let their dignity be conquered by street beggary.
Does conscience really makes cowards of us all? Or does it keep the brave hearts in us alive? I question Shakespearean Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy. I had braved my heart by not letting reason be overruled by my escapist compassion getting away by throwing a few bucks in the beggar’s hand.
The beggar’s conscious was muted, mine was thriving. Thriving to evolve my radical thinking on poverty, charity, beggary, and of course prosperity or rather as I would put it: PROSPERISM.
“To give or not to give” will always remain a dilemma for deep thinkers who keep their conscience alive. I leave my share of that dilemma for another time, for another blog.
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Really nice post
Actually i am from Mexico and i see many child in short age working saling and beg
i always ask them if they go to school before giving them any money , to make sure i am not helping them to be illiterate
and i like to try to make them undertand they must go to school but its really difficult becouse they see money fast ....
O dear you are such a sweetheart. Unfortunately most beggars on the streets are those who are beggars by choice. They are not interested in changing their life. Changing that attitude is tough. But we have to start somewhere. Thanks for sharing your thoughts though.
reesteem !!!!
Good post sharon.We should stand beside them.Thanks for such kind of post.You are doing great job.
Thanks for your support :)
Ohh..So Sad..
I'm restreemed this post now
Sure there its many people around the world that need change !!!
resteem
Thanks for comment, upvote and follow. I upvoted your post and followed back. :)
congratulations for your 45 hehe
we are getting there xD
have a good day xD
Please my all followers help all poor man.
And restreemed this post
can i have get your permission to restreemed this??
Oh dear you don't need permission to share a good cause with your network. It is how you can contribute to a creating a better world. Thanks and please accept my 100% upvote for commenting. :)
thanks a lot
i already restreemed
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Would be interesting to read more on the dilemma of “To give or not to give”.
This do seems to be a radical thinking. The point is you need to ascertain what a true charity is. If a charity does not address the root cause of a problem and is just redressing symptoms then it may not be called a charity. I think we need to redefine the word charity instead of making such radical statements.
Thank you for reading and commenting. I also assume you also read the real life story in this post.
Well, your comment brings me to another radical thinking of mine. Love, charity, altruism, or for that matter socialism, communism or any other ism that we know of isn't what an idealistic definition defines in the books, but what what it is in real life practice. Charity isn't what it aught to be in an idealistic mind. It is how it is practiced in real life. And the way it is practiced in real world has made more beggars thrive on the streets than it has helped feed the self-respecting hungry of the world. You may want to check my first meme on this from which that statement is quoted:
The question isn't whether my thinking is radical. The question is whether it is rational. You have to tell me that my reasoning is irrational.
Watch this space for more radical but rational thinking.
No you are absolutely right my bro
Well, I didn't say that your thinking is irrational but that doesn't mean the one who is extending alms to beggars is irrational. The point is you are only opposing the act of giving alms without offering any alternative solution. IMHO, just asking people to not to extend alms to needy people is not the solution to the problem. You need to come out of some practical and viable solution to eradicate the practice of begging altogether.
There are many more aspects to this. E.g. you have perhaps assumed that the donor is extending alms thinking that this will fulfill all needs of the beggar and he / she will stop begging henceforth. But this is not the truth in most cases. Donor knows that he / she is not helping the person enough to help the beggar quit his / her begging. But a simple act of extending some alms gives a lot of feel-good vibrations to the donor and his / her conscience feels much better with this simple act. Alms also support many beggars with their basic survival needs.
I've a couple of questions to you:
Would you like to elaborate on your project?
Thanks!
After seeing all your post i want to resteem all i am at 39 rank can i rested it sry if i can't..
@jhlimon007: You are. most welcome to resteem all my posts. And, if you comment on any of my poverty related post, I assure you 100% powered up upvote.
Thanks for upvoting and commenting :)
Ok thanks i am doing it now because i know we all have to take proper steps and resteem all post to reduce it I am very thankful to you for your kindness thanks again i am commenting on all post and will comment on all your upcoming posts..
I am following you dude no problem you will get all my support...
I thank everyone who upvoted and commented on this post. I've tried to upvote all comments. However, some who commented and upvoted my earlier posts may have to wait until tomorrow as much of my Steem is used up for the day. So I'll spread out my old post comment upvotes over days so that the comments receive full 100% powered up rewards. Thanks for you patience. :)