Grab some popcorn. Update to something from earlier.

[The Straight Story]

As I noted earlier here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1078807

I met a homeless couple at the creek. I went back down tonight and took them some things (clothes, food, blankets, books) and they were really grateful.

They asked me if I wanted to stay a bit and have...a beer. They had enough to get a six pack of some cheap beer.

I couldn't stay (baby girl was home waiting for me, my niece was watching her so I could drive back down to the creek).

They have nothing for the most part. A tent. Some clothes, sleeping bag, and a tattered blanket (and some food in plastic bags) The lady, probably about 25, was missing several teeth and probably was/is in some pain (I remember a day when I had no dental insurance and lost some teeth and had exposed roots and wisdom teeth coming in).

With the few dollars they have I am sure some would say they could have spent it better than on some beer.

Not sure what they would spend it on. Gas? No car. Security deposit for an apartment? Yeah right. Doctor to get meds for depression/etc? Sure - $5 would cover that.

Maybe they could get a roast to cook on a fire they cannot make because the police would see it and bust them and make them pack it in and move along.

Maybe they could have spent the money on a bus pass to look for a job...well no bus runs along that road near there. And the closest place they could get a job that is hiring (that I know of, where I work) is 5 miles from there.

I would gladly, if I had it, get them a few beers and sit with them tomorrow night and just chill for the night.

They have no TV, no internet, no radio, nothing but a tent near a creek and won't even have more than a candle at night for fear of being caught.

At times I have seen people say that they won't give people money for fear that they might buy beer or smokes with it - as though that few bucks tossed to someone is going to get them a car, apartment, stove, etc. Sure - you can buy them a cheeseburger, and tonight I gave them peanut butter, crackers, and some spam (hey, it's what I had here and is non-perishable and would survive a nuclear war) but come on.

One day at a time, and sometimes - when you have no tv/books/etc/so on - maybe having a beer or two is the only thing that brings you a little joy.

They take their bottles up to UDF and fill them in the bathroom sink to have water (I offered to fill up their bottles, but they were already full), they can buy a few things like bread, etc - and they chose to spend a few bucks on some beer in hopes, perhaps, to have a night where they can relax and let their daily troubles go away.

I suppose if they were wealthy they could tune out their problems with some high priced meds.

Far be it from me to judge others and their choices. How they deal day to day is their business, how we deal day to day with people living in tents at a creek is up to us. We can keep funding wars and giving tax breaks to big companies to move jobs overseas - or we can end the wars, tax cuts for the rich, and use that money to really help people here suffering.

Go ahead and judge them for having nothing and using the few dollars they have for some beer.

I will tell you this - if it were me in that tent tonight you bet your ass I would be downing a few beers, because that few dollars I had would not get me out of the situation I was in. And if you think it would....well go ahead and go live in a tent and I will send you $5 and you tell me later about how you were able to get a car, job, and apartment with it.

[Autumn]

1. If it were me in that tent tonight, I would get

a bottle of whiskey. Whatever helps them get through it.

[Beavker]

78. Eloquently put.

Spot on.

[kentuck]

2. Well said..

If they buy some beer, good for them. I agree.

[rsmith6621]

3. They Are The Living a Life That Many May Live Soon...

....... If this country doesn't get back to it's pre-Regan self and soon...As long as corporations are seen as persons we all will see no significant growth... Sad but we all better not be surprised one day if we are not living the same way...


Good on you Straight Story for not judging them,I guess even when times are not good we still deserve a BEER...

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Thank you so much for sharing this! I had missed the earlier thread. *hugs*

[madokie]

5. I would rather judge you

You are one hell of a good person with a heart of pure gold. The friendship you've offered will mean more to them as anything you could do. I've been down, I know.

[eShirl]

16. so very well said

+1

[secondwind]

23. hear, hear, and how true!

[CatWoman]

46. ......

:applause:

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Who am I to deny a little pleasure in what must be a pretty hard life?

A friend of mine who is a minister told me that's the reason he gives money to the homeless on the street and doesn't care if they go buy booze.

[Pacifist Patriot]

30. Interesting....

My inter-faith clergy group were talking about this a few months ago and all pretty much had the same response. We'll do what we can through our organizational structures to get a person or a family off the street, but could not care less what people in need do with any cash to come their way.

Only one minister got a little sanctimonious. The rest were of the mindset you mention above as well as something else. Not only "who am I to deny a little pleasure," but "who am I to take away someone else's feelings of autonomy." The homeless are so subject to decisions made by others they deserve to still be able to make some decisions of their own.

[wryter2000]

59. That's more or less how my church looks at it

We'd rather people spend any money we give them on food, but if it goes to beer, we don't feel we're in any position to judge. Lately, we've been making up baggies with user-friendly food in them. The packages always have some candy and gum in them. We keep them in our cars so they're handy when we see someone in need. But there are always gift cards at the church. How the people spend the money is up to them.

[JuniperLea]

81. Keeping a bag of recyclables in the car is a good way to contribute as well...

I know many who do this, and it's very appreciated by those who normally dig around for cans and plastic bottles. It works well for those of us who work in offices too... our building is green and they recycle, but my three or four cans a week and many more plastic water bottles will help a homeless person far more than it helps the building... and it's still a very green thing to do.

[wryter2000]

86. Interesting

I wouldn't have thought of that.

[JuniperLea]

99. I watch for people digging through trash cans...

They are generally quite grateful for the bag full of recyclables they didn't have to dig for.

I drive through the east end of downtown Los Angeles every day to and from work... there are several rescue missions in the area and the homeless traffic is quite high. There are also many tent cities that come and go in the area.

I could take another route... but choose not to... I count my own blessings while trying to think of ways to be a blessing to these people. It's humbling.

[Reader Rabbit]

7. "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

Ben Franklin

Also: My sig line

[brooklynite]

26. "Light Beer is not..."

[Reader Rabbit]

35. Light beer is like making love in a canoe...

...it's fucking close to water.

[ZombieHorde]

57. I laughed. nt

[alfredo]

67. Sex is proof God has a twisted sense of humor.

[CrispyQ]

72. Life is a sexually transmitted terminal condition.

:)

[alfredo]

79. I've thought I was dying a few times.

[freshwest]

124. So true!

[KamaAina]

109. "And malt does more than Milton can/To justify God's ways to man."

A. E. Housman.

[themadstork]

133. love it!

And I sorta have a crush on Milton too. You made me smile.

[alterfurz]

112. "To some its a six-pack, to me it's a Support Group." -- my dorm roomie Dan

Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza. -- Dave Barry

Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers. -- Cliff Clavin

[Hotler]

115. Kicking for Cliff and the buffalo herd theory. n/t

[blondeatlast]

8. What you said. nt

[stevedeshazer]

9. +1

You go.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. there's one more thing

Beer is actually quite nutritious, even the cheap crap we produce. It is liquid bread.

[Pharaoh]

11. They need Beer!

If I were in their shoes I would definitely need beer,...............or Brandy :party:

[sabrina 1]

12. Beautiful post, thank you ~ n/t

[madamesilverspurs]

13. They are our future

if Paul Ryan has his way.


Thanks for being human towards them.

-

[Forkboy]

14. Drives me crazy when people say the homeless will just spend the money on beer or what have you.

Like I wasn't going to do the same thing with it.

When I give someone money for Christmas or a birthday, I don't include a note saying, "Ok, here's some money, and THIS is what you have to spend it on." It's insulting and degrading, and the homeless deal with enough of that to start with. If they want to take my money and go get drunk for the night that's their business. They're homeless, not children who need to be told what to do.

[Arkansas Granny]

56. Yes. A gift is a gift and it comes without stipulations.

[OneGrassRoot]

118. Word. :) n/t

[themadstork]

134. Exactly

I hate the toads who act like the poor should never invest in even the smallest creature comfort. "OMG, THEY CLAIM THEYRE POOR BUT THEY HAVE A TV??????"

[bobbolink]

143. I was in a restaurant where some baggers hang out. They were loudly proclaiming that they should

go steal the big-screen TVs from all the poor people.

Yup, THEFT is OK, as long as it is done by the AFFLUENT baggers!

On the other hand, the Dems have no problem stealing from us the little that is left of the safety net, either.

[eShirl]

15. actually my thought was

too bad they didn't have access to something healthier, like a joint

[lillypaddle]

20. No, a joint would have only

made them hungry, and then they would have eaten all their peanut butter & spam!

[eShirl]

94. lol

[yawnmaster]

71. beer is healthy. eom

[eShirl]

96. that's true. unfortunately, ultra-cheap mass produced American beer is to real beer as

Wonder Bread is to a multigrain sourdough artisan loaf

someone bring them a good homebrew!

[yawnmaster]

107. Very little of my homebrew makes it beyond my property line, so that's out....

I do like your analogy, though.
I have eaten both wonder bread and the cheap beer, in a pinch.

[Irishonly]

17. Great Post

I see homeless every day on my walks. I will not judge them because I have no right to do so. It's heartbreaking. One gentleman gets a bag of oranges every Saturday. I buy them at the Farmer's Market. I know he is diabetic and I wish I could do more. The hopelessness on their faces cuts like a knife.

[CrispyQ]

73. "The hopelessness on their faces cuts like a knife."

Too sad. No words.

[valerief]

18. America, the best worst country in the world. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

19. If I give homeless people money, it's because I'm giving them the money. They can do what they want

with it.

Their call, not mine.

[Enthusiast]

21. I don't understand you.

When you give them things it only encourages them to remain lazy. Er, Limbaugh said.

"They'll work if they are hungry enough." A right wing Republican friend told me that once.

In all seriousness, may God bless you for your kindness.

[PerpetuallyDazed]

24. People are so coded in their language. Especially Republicans.

Kids from the street who've been raised to hustle work the hell out of people. It may not fit your definition of "work", but it does require some skill/labor intensity/whatever...

[rasputin1952]

22. A couple of years ago, I had a similar siruation, although beer was...

not involved.

I went to one of the local stores to get some things, and there was a cop in there giving a guy a Summons to appear in court for shoplifting. He had taken a loaf of bread and some lunch meat.The cops were called by an Asst MGR, and this guy had to face the embarrassment of publicly taking it from not just the cops and the store employees, but the shopping public as well, almost all of whom looked at him w/some degree of scorn.

I left the store, and when he came out, I asked him what's up, feeling that if he took bread and lunch meat, there was more to this than most would see. He had a wife and two kids in his car, and told me he was to start a job, but now worried if this would affect that. He said his kids hadn't eaten all day, and he was trying to get something so they could eat. He had an apt, and fortunately the landlord was cool enough to allow this guy to get back on his feet. The local paper posts all of the arrests/summonses, (probably the most popular item in the paper), and he figured once his new employer saw the name, he's be back in dire straits.

I asked if his wife and kids would come into the store w/me and get some groceries. We went down the aisles and she got a few items to see them through the next few days. At the checkout, I saw Mike, the owner, and talked to him about the situation. He said he would not have called the cops under the circumstances, but the Asst Mgr followed the protocol and after a bit, Mike went over to the checker and told her, that she was not to take anything for groceries, he'd p/u the tab. He then asked the mother if the kids could have some candy, she said yes, embarrassed as all hell, and the kids sheepishly picked up a 45 cent bar each.

As we left, Mike called me over and said he's call the Courthouse the next day ans tell the county atty that there were no charges from the store, and he'd call the editor of the paper and tell him it was a mistake. There was a gas station next door to the store, and since I didn't spend cash on the groceries, I had enough to pretty much fill the car they had w/gas so this young man could get to work.

All things considered, and the way things worked out, it rekindled my spirit, and showed me once again that while we can't save the world, we can do things in our little corner that will make things just a little easier for another and give them hope as well as preserve their dignity.

You did well, and if the only joy they get is from a having a beer or two, they can go for it. Your acts of kindness and caring have given them some degree of hope. And that may be more rewarding for them than most of us could contemplate.

:pals:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

27. There is a story my friend the Animal Rescue Guru told me...

After high tide went out one evening, star fish littered a beach for miles. A little girl could be seen grabbing them and throwing them back into the ocean. She was busy and hurried and she would pick one up, toss it into the water and hurry on to the next, barely making a dent in the numbers that were dying on the dry beach. A man approached and asked her why she was doing what she was doing. How she thought it matter if she saved a handful when there were thousands on the shore. She couldn't save them all. She looked up at him, grabbed another one, tossed it into the sea and said "It mattered to that one." And with that she walked away and continued with her work.
Leah, my Animal Rescue friend, has that tattooed on her foot. She works for the pound here. They put down dramatic numbers of animals every day. People tell her all the time that she can't save them all. Like she doesn't know that. All I know is that it mattered to my Leroy that she saved him from getting put down and he lived another 14 months with a family that loved him and cherished him and still do and will until the day they die. And it mattered to my little Poppin, my 8 month old chihuahua, who is a little shy and opened his mouth to bite her when she went to get him out of the cage. Instead of putting him down because he might be aggressive, she gave him to us to love, and he's the biggest ball of love I've ever met.
When we do something for one person, it matters to them and it might their whole lives. And they may pay forward your actions so that someone else doesn't have to suffer when they get back on their feet. It's a cycle.
Anyway, it mattered to those people that you helped to clear up the situation at the grocery store and bought them gas. It mattered to the people the OP took blankets to and offered help to. Even if you can't save them all, helping one is still a HUGE accomplishment.
Duckie

[FailureToCommunicate]

47. "It mattered to that one"

Thanks for the insight, Duckie.

[kenichol]

74. I guess I needed to be reminded...you made me cry

in a good way!

[bobbolink]

88. BOTH sides are true, and we need to remember the JUSTICE side.

While we need to help who we can who is right in front of us, we ALSO need to take care of the JUSTICE part, also.

I have spoken up many times here against charity, and it is for this reason.. we don't DO the other side, the JUSTICE side. That charity without the justice is what they neocons do, and what they want this society to Be.

I wish that for every act of charity that people here give, they would also devote time to working for Justice, to END the circumstances that cause people to be in need in the first place.

If everyone here would do a One For One, it would make a big difference in the overall picture of poverty.

PLUS, it would save a lot of people from future humiliation.

[Curmudgeoness]

122. Very touching post. nt

[freshwest]

125. Thanks so much for that story.

[rasputin1952]

131. "It mattered for that one"...

Leave it to a kid to see what so many of us have become jaded to...:)

[A-Schwarzenegger]

141. Amen.

[Pacifist Patriot]

32. Wow, just wow!

I so needed to hear these stories today.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

33. Oh man, I've always wondered what happened

I saw something once, many years ago, in Milpitas, California. I was walking out of a grocery store with my groceries and 3 guys pushed around me and literally tackled a guy in the parking lot, where he landed face-first on the asphalt. What he had stolen was spilled out. A gallon of milk, a box of diapers, and 2 cans of formula.

It horrified me. I always feel a pang of horror and sadness when I remember this.

[Shanti Mama]

65. You just made me cry!

thanks.

[Forkboy]

66. ....

:thumbsup:

[closeupready]

70. Very nice - honestly made me tear up a bit.

:hug:

[bobbolink]

87. What you have just written was the story of Les Miserables, my favorite play of all time.

I don't know if you remember what the Bishop did, when Jean Valjean came to him from prison, after being chased from every place he went.

The Bishop fed him and gave him a place to stay for the night. DUring the night, Valjean stole some of the silver from the Bishop's house, and was later caught by the police, who wanted to make his life even more miserable.

Valjean told them the Bishop gave him the silver, so they took him, in chains, to the Bishop's house. The Bishop said, indeed, he had given him the silver, then said, "But son, you forgot to take the candlesticks I gave you." When the police left, the Bishop told Valjean to go in peace, and to help others as he had been helped.

That part of the story always brings me tears, and what you did for this family has the same effect.

Bless you! :yourock:

And for the family: :grouphug:

[Papagoose]

25. Thank you for making me think

I'm afraid that I've been guilty of judging homeless people when I see them with alcohol or cigarettes.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

28. Underwear Goes Inside the Pants...about the homeless near the end od the video.....

http://youtu.be/ahlWufJqcSQ

[handmade34]

40. +1 the video

[Pacifist Patriot]

29. I hate this!

I could only recommend it once. Drat!

[Corruption Winz]

31. With 5 dollars, I'd buy a couple of beer and a scratch ticket..

Give myself a chance to win and a chance to get over another loss. Not much else to do with that money in that situation.

[TBF]

34. Rec is for the last line.

I know some folks look down on giving cash to the homeless, but I always do it. If they are desperate enough to be standing by a road asking for help who am I to look down on them? I'm just thankful I'm in a position to be able to help out a bit.

[myrna minx]

36. K&R n/t

[msanthrope]

37. It may not be the best choice, but who the fuck am I to judge?

Recently on this board, I admitted that I was wrong because I did think that there should be some pretty restrictive controls on food stamps. Then a post from a DUer, sharing her personal pain, made me rethink.

I may not have bought a beer, I may not think buying a beer is a good thing, but when it comes right down to it, is it worth it, the judgment of others over what is trivial in the great scheme of things?

Compassion and empathy take more effort than judgment. I don't like taking the easy route.

[dionysus]

38. their lives are grim, let them have thier beer i say.

[Odin2005]

39. You are a wonderful person, TSS!

:hi:

[Fire1]

41. I'm not that self-righteous to be concerned with "how" a

person spends the few bucks I'm able to give. I'm just glad I'm able to do it.

[KittyWampus]

42. I know someone who lives in a tent. He bikes to work and works on his writing when he gets home.

Some of his work has been published recently and one piece is up for an award that comes with money attached.

[Fire1]

43. Wonderful news. I hope he gets it. n/t

[juajen]

85. I wonder where he bathes. I wish cities would put up public showers so

everyone could feel clean. Also public, free washers and dryers. My heart is breaking over the homeless, for I have one that I have opened my home to. Here, he has food if he's hungry, a TV to watch and warmth and love, and a clean body and clean clothes.

It's amazing how judgmental people can be when they have never been in another person's shoes. Though only for a brief time, I was homeless once with four children. I will never forget that experience. I, luckily, had help from relatives and this only lasted a couple of weeks. Even though this was a brief experience, I saw first hand how you are looked down on and blamed for misfortune, whether it was your fault or not.

"For he was hungry and I fed him, he was naked and I clothed him", etc. What would Jesus do? He would throw out all the rich people, like he tossed the money changers out of the temple. What hypocrites the religious right are! Whether you believe in God or Jesus is immaterial. The bible teaches us how to treat our fellow human beings and the animals "God" or somebody game us dominion over.

[handmade34]

44. my sadness

is that I can't give beer money (or whatever) to every homeless person I meet. COLLECTIVELY we must decide to end the madness. When I was homeless it was the kindness of one man that helped me get myself and 3 kids into a house and then a job... Since I am on the road for work now, I encounter people almost everyday that need help and I simply don't have enough to give money to every person I meet. I cry often.






IMG]

IMG]

[OneGrassRoot]

119. ...

:cry:

:hug:

:grouphug:

[bobbolink]

129. You are absolutely right. Charity CANNOT meet the need, and JUSTICE is necessary.

You may not have the money to help everyone, but I commend you for wanting to do so.

What you CAN do is earmark so many minutes per week to work for JUSTICE.

In the end, that means more.

[themadstork]

135. right on

bobbolink you may be my favorite poster!

I think I'm going to do that. Budget activism for the poor into my "omg too much shit to do" pseudo-schedule.

[bobbolink]

138. Wonderful! You made my day! Just think... if all the actively posting DUers would spend 15 minute

a week actively doing something to eradicate homelessness, it would make a HUGE difference!

I guess its a little late for a New Year's resolution, but I hope you make this a part of your week.

Keep us informed of your actions, would you?

Thanks! :yourock:

[pipi_k]

45. I have no problem with giving someone money...

for something as long as the person is upfront about it.

It's the lying I don't like.

Don't tell me you need money to buy milk for your kid and then spend it on cigarettes or booze or a lottery ticket.

Just be honest.

[handmade34]

50. not fair

many homeless people have to deal with stigmas, criticism and judgement anytime they put themselves out there...

most of us would end up lying about what we were doing if we had to face that everyday!! Most of us can't deal with the honest truth...

"There but for the grace of god go I"

[blondeatlast]

53. So would you give the guy a $5 bill if he said he was going to buy liquor with it?

I don't give a damn what they do with it, period.

[sarge43]

48. If that beer helped them cope, good on the beer. n/t

[FailureToCommunicate]

49. Beer is better than bad water! Let's bury the ghost of Lee Atwater once

and for all. Can you imagine those people saying 'Hey, stay and have a glass of (dirty) water with us'? Having beer handy to offer you is just good manners. (Not confined to lucky people with homes)


I usually have (chemical) hand warmers to offer if it's winter (I work outside), along with some cash...

Sometimes an umbrella...



(Thanks for the tread.)

[Snoutport]

51. Beer is cheap for a reason...we learned that from the Koch's supporters in Milwaukie

drunk sleepy people don't care they are being ripped off by the rich.

[raccoon]

52. Good for you for your kindness to those people. nt

[jorno67]

54. God bless You!

[tilsammans]

55. Love this quote: "Never look down on anybody . . .

. . . unless you're helping him up." ~ Jesse Jackson

Thank you for being kind and nonjudgmental. I always think that I could be in their shoes one day.

Far be it from me to judge others and their choices. How they deal day to day is their business, . . .

Indeed. Yet the libertarians will yell and holler about "freedom" and "choices." Funny, how they don't think it applies to those who are down on their luck.

[jwirr]

58. If we were living in an affluent society that had a piece of the pie for

everyone we would not have young couples living in a tent on a creek. Until or if we ever have that we have no room to judge because it could very well be us out there on that creek next.

[bobbolink]

139. So well articulated! Would that you could get more to understand this simple wisdom.

You would NOT believe how so many people are treated when they go for "help". It really is ... a sin, a crime.... however you want to say it.

Thanks! :yourock:

[cliffordu]

60. "I suppose if they were wealthy they could tune out their problems with some high priced meds."

Yep - or single malt, or a nice '51 Rothchild.......

It's only when it's cheep beer and fortified wine when the morals police come out, followed by the real police with eviction on their mind.....

There's a lot to be said for killing pain and the easing of suffering with chemicals for the poor and destitute.

Been there.

Thanks for helping those folks. What did Jesus say about how you treat the least of my brothers....???

[defendandprotect]

61. kr --

[Wilmer]

62. K&R

Very well (and thoughtfully) said.

[dorksied]

63. faith in humanity + 1

thanks for this, its nice to see that there are decent people in this world.

sad to think that i cant think of a single republican who would have said any of this.

[AllyCat]

64. I will think twice about the money thing. Thanks for this. I usually buy them food

and have given out a pack of bus passes and bottled water. But you are right...what on earth will they do with $5 in this economy? Hardly buys a sandwich worth eating.

[lucca18]

68. Thank you!!

You are caring and thoughtful, and they appreciated all you did for them.

[closeupready]

69. K&R - It's not my decision how it's spent when I gift it to someone else.

You are a good person. :hi:

[Gemini Cat]

75. One of the best posts I've ever read here.

This is what being a human is all about.

Thanks for posting.

[CrispyQ]

76. k&r

"....well go ahead and go live in a tent and I will send you $5 and you tell me later about how you were able to get a car, job, and apartment with it."

:applause:

[AuntPatsy]

77. Rec. It's the way we should all feel

[JuniperLea]

80. Good for you, TSS...

I was just yesterday discussing adopting homeless people in Downtown Los Angeles. We can't help them all, but if we try to help those we can with what we can, we are all better people for it.

I have no problem with the beer at all. But I do have a problem with people complaining that you can now get fast food with EBT cards... much like your friends by the creek, even if you could cook something, there are many reasons why you wouldn't. Getting a hot meal at a burger joint isn't a waste of money. Sometimes those who have what they need are so clueless as to what the basic needs of a homeless person are.

[Plucketeer]

82. I wrote a post last week,

in which I told of giving a gal $10 bucks in response to the sign she was holding up at the exit of a supermarket parking lot. She stood there, sign in hands, with a large duffle bag and a scruffy mutt lying next to her. Her sign said: Looking for a Miracle. I drove on by and then doubled back - my conscience weighing on me.
I pulled a ten out of my wallet and handed it to her as I pulled to stop. I told her I didn't believe in miracles - I felt there's only us looking out for one another.
She said something about her and her husband considering pawning their truck after it had broken down and their having no money to fix it so they could reach their goal. I wished her well as she thanked me profusely. And after I drove towardes home, I wrestled with myself that I hadn't done enough - I could have given her a twenty - I could have handed her all the cash in my wallet and never missed a beat. I could have offered to help with the truck repairs (I have all the tools to do so).
But I was late to start dinner for the wife and I and so I drove on home. As I drove along, I tried to decide if I'd done good or not.


In another incident with less fortunates, it was last summer that I bought a clapped out vehicle from a homeless guy. I happened to need some parts off of it and it was useless to him since it wasn't road-worthy. He helped me to get it to my place and he commented on the wealth of veggies on the plants in our garden. I got a cardboard box and started picking stuff he could take with him. I cautioned him that some of the tomatoes were fully ripe and should be eaten very soon. His reply was that all the stuff would be eaten that very day. Turns out he was a resident in a local tent city and the residents daily pooled whatever they had to eat so that no one went hungry. I then went and got a bigger box.

I relate these incidents as examples of what I've been doing of late. I share them NOT to garner any praise, but only to provoke others to do such as well. Maybe a rash of acts of generosity could start to "go viral". Such a movement nationwide might set a new tone. I don't BELIEVE that will happen, but I still foolishly pin my hopes on a lottery ticket now and then too! I think it would be fun to walk around and be a "stick-pocket" - sticking hundred dollar bills into folks pockets without them knowing who'd done it.

[bobbolink]

91. Then, close your ears, because I will praise you anyway. Giving food is giving life.

:applause:

Now, I will ask you to match that by working for justice so that the people in the tent city
1. Are safe and NOT harrassed by police, etc.
2. Are soon able to be in homes, and that will happen with a movement to create adequate low-income housing in your area.

You can begin with writing a good LTTE for your local paper, and speaking about this with others.

I hope you will follow up.... I can tell you that living this way is dehumanizing even when people have a kind heart, and it needs to end in this country.

And, thank you.

[Plucketeer]

100. OK - from you, Bobbolink,

I'll take it. Sadly, the fate of that tent camp was sealed already when I gave them food (as I said, that was a year ago). EVEN THO.... they were outside the city limits.... AND had the permission of the landowner to stay there - they were dispersed by the Sheriff's Dept.. Of course, there was the obligatory "processing" thru various help agencies, but that still left alot of folks on the street.
This community was so far off the road that you really had to look to see it, but the city COULD NOT stand the spectre of such a blight so close to their bastion of conservative pride! Everyone KNOWS that a solidly conservative community leaves no one (not just children!) behind! Perish the image! :grr:

[bobbolink]

101. Thank you for accepting my praise, as weird as it is. LOL

I'm sad but not surprised at the outcome. DO you know where they went? (Besides on the street? And how are they being treated there?)

And, yes, we know what being "processed" feels like.... like a piece of meat.

What I am going to say next is probably not what you want to hear. However, another DUer just reminded me that "acting locally" is what we must be doing, so blame the following on him. ^_^

There is a conservative town in western Colorado with a large homeless population. They had established a tent city. There is a small group of young people there who had done as you did.. brought them food, etc. They were also working on a "Housing First" initiative. I want to say for the record.. these are YOUNG people, they have no standing in the community, they work restaurant jobs so have no stashes of cash, etc.

By offering aid, they established trust, so that when the cops slashed some of the tents, and sprayed belongings with pepperspray, etc., the homeless people came to this group to report it. They took cameras and photographed the evidence, interviewed the inhabitants and took notes. Then they went to the Chief Of Police and complained about what had been done.

Two of the cops were fired immediately, one was fired later, and one resigned rather than being fired.

THIS is what people can do.

[Plucketeer]

103. The cops were very nice

in this instance I told about. In fact, they gave them two weeks notice before they had to be out.

I don't know what became of the residents after they were cleared out. I did read that a percentage of them WERE "helped" in some way, shape or fashion. I didn't personally follow up on any of them. Of course, some of them are still living where they can around here. But they squat only a short time before someone complains and makes the law intervene.

[xmas74]

130. We've discussed the LTTE.

If everyone here wrote one it would make a huge difference. If even just one person wrote one, had it published, made photocopies, and tacked them to free community boards in their town it might make someone think.

It's so hard to solve the problem. LTTE is a way to start that cost nothing, gets the word out, and makes the writer think.

[bobbolink]

144. I hadn't thought of the making copies of LTTEs and posting them around.

VERY good!

:applause:

[xmas74]

145. Every time I've had to sell something to

make ends meet I've made an ad and posted it on every bulletin board in town. People read them, whether they talk about it or not.

[Atypical Liberal]

83. Mixed feelings.

I almost always give money when approached by a panhandler. Even when I'm pretty sure I'm being scammed. I figure if someone is desperate enough to ask for money, I'll give money. I've given money to people who approached me while pumping gas (I even pumped them some gas on my dime instead of money, once - knew I was being scammed then because the car that was supposedly "out of gas so they needed money" only took a couple of gallons to fill). I've handed money to guys standing at the off-ramps of interstates.

And I don't begrudge anyone a little pleasure out of life.

But I can tell you this: If I were homeless, and I had a partner depending on me, or, as I do now, children depending on me, I would hope that the very last thing in the world I would be spending my money on would be beer. To just say that, "Well, five dollars can't buy much." is to simply allow yourself to dig deeper and deeper into crisis. I got myself into serious credit card debt that way, so I know how easy it is to just blow off "small expenditures" and then find that they very quickly add up to real money.

Dog help the homeless with the addiction of nicotine on their backs.

[salib]

110. But you are not them.

I believe it is intrinsically important that one recognize that what motivates me is not necessarily what "motivates" others. Several points to try to clarify as it takes truly stepping out one's own core values:

1. I remember Tom Hartman debating with one of the right-wing guest he frequently invites. At one point the guest made the usual comment something like "those people just need a little motivation, in the form of economic consequences" or some such thing. Tom responded in a way I have not heard him do before or since, though it may be just that I missed those other times. He said something like "So, if someone is not responding to the existing forms of motivation which permeate this society, you would correct that by ramping up the same type of motivation?", again, or some such.

2. A friend of mine visited the Australian Outback, and told a group of us that he was shocked by the Aborigines who just spent the whole day sitting near the "Dole Office, with hands out and getting high". He was shocked that it was right in the open, so blatant. Many of the others were shocked too and returned to the usual line of "if that were I...." I had something different to offer. I said, maybe these people have simply not accepted the choices laid out before them and are not motivated by the consequences. Of course, some said "what consequences?" I responded that it did not matter the severity of the consequences unless they actually those consequences actually mattered to them, and they must have a route out that is positive to their own sense of self, of what motivates them.

4. Another person I am close with presented this same argument, in such a personal way, I think I began to understand something. This person was different. Amazing that. But, for this person it was incredibly important to their self-worth that they were disciplined and motivated by the (maybe capitalist or elitist maybe) paradigm common in Western Society. They had come so far and accomplished so much by adapting, to the point that it was abhorrent to them when someone else did not do the same. I suspect they actually thought that the example of someone "gaming the system" personally undermined that inner strength and purpose. What can one do with that in a discussion?

I think many an idealist, or moralist, or just one who is trying to develop a life plan, some understanding and maybe even meaning, oftentimes generalizes their motivations and what makes a "good" or "successful" or "moral" or "strong" person.

People are different. It is a very enlightened and liberal concept.

However, do many of us understand? That they are different just might mean that in order to stay motivated and successful they cannot have others who are different and "getting away with it." It just might mean that some are just not going to accept the current dogma, whether it be liberal, conservative, whatever.

I suspect we need to get past the "if everyone just did ..." and face up to the much harder (and probably impossible in whole) effort of creating a society a greater majority have a good way to be motivated.

[bobbolink]

114. *Really* wish I could rec your reply! THIS is the type of thinking that so many of us wish we

could see more of here! Thought-provoking, and plowing new ground, rather than repeating the same stuff. Thanks!

I didn't reply to this OP because it already had a lot of responses, but I would say that *I* am homeless and *I* don't drink (and even though I am of German extract, I can't stand beer!) But why in the world would I even consider shaking a finger at someone else who choses to do so? And, if I, a non-drinking homeless person, won't criticize a drinking homeless person, why should anyone else?

"He said something like "So, if someone is not responding to the existing forms of motivation which permeate this society, you would correct that by ramping up the same type of motivation?", again, or some such."

That is wonderful! I have NEVER heard Hartmann actually get that open about personal differences! Sadly, I have heard him repeat common (and erroneous) stereotypes about homelessness.

"I said, maybe these people have simply not accepted the choices laid out before them and are not motivated by the consequences."

Beautiful! :applause:

I'd like to have you "testify" on my behalf sometimes! Really, I think that the arc of justice is often moved ahead by just those people who fit that description.

"They had come so far and accomplished so much by adapting, to the point that it was abhorrent to them when someone else did not do the same."

And that adaptation includes dishonesty, using others, worshiping power rather than compassion, and criticism rather than acceptance, and competition rather than cooperation. No, thank you. The values of "adapting" to this society are anathema.

Even though you left out #3 (:)) I appreciate and resonate to your words. It is a sign of growth when we recognize and accept that not everyone sees things and feels things in the same way.

As my Indian friends say, "If your heart is right....."

Thanks so much... best post in a very long time!

[Atypical Liberal]

127. "Turn on, tune in, drop out"

The way I always heard that kind of societal attitude was "Turn on, tune in, drop out".

Now I don't have a problem with people who want to do that. If you truly want to make the choice to reject the idea of what we consider normal for providing for oneself in our society, I have no problem with that.

But such people should not expect society to support them, either.

Please do not read this as me being "anti-welfare" as nothing could be further from the truth. I strongly suspect that most people on welfare do in fact want a better life for themselves and their children and most people work desperately hard to try and "succeed" in our modern culture. There are some who abuse the system but this does not bother me to the point where conservatives would rather get rid of all welfare rather than have a few people abuse it. I see this as throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

But, again, if there are people who are not motivated by "the existing forms of motivation which permeate this society", I don't have a problem with that - such people just shouldn't expect society to support them so that they can indulge themselves in such behavior.

Thankfully, I believe most people want to partake in "The American Dream" and strive to do so for the betterment of themselves and their children.

[themadstork]

136. I think this kind of thinking is really the essence of liberalism.

Embracing difference, embracing the unknown, the ambiguous, the difficult, the new. Recognizing that nature is constantly changing, and learning to love the challenge of that change.

You know who I feel really exemplified this kind of liberal thinking? I go on about him a lot, but Ralph Waldo Emerson. His entire life the man fought for justice, the constant re-apprehension of truth, the challenging of accepted sentiment, the refusal to stop learning and developing.

"Life only avails, not the having lived. Power ceases in the instant of repose; it resides in the moment of transition from a past to a new state, in the shooting of the gulf, in the darting to an aim. This one fact the world hates; that the soul becomes; for that for ever degrades the past, turns all riches to poverty, all reputation to a shame, confounds the saint with the rogue, shoves Jesus and Judas equally aside." - RWE

"Valor consists in the power of self-recovery, so that a man cannot have his flank turned, cannot be out-generalled, but put him where you will, he stands. This can only be by his preferring truth to his past apprehension of truth, and his alert acceptance of it from whatever quarter; the intrepid conviction that his laws, his relations to society, his christianity, his world, may at any time be superseded and decease." - RWE


To some extent such thinking will *always* amount to a kind of radicalism. The constant quest to see nature/reality in its true variety and abundance, and not through the eyes of a settled person - there's ultimately no more political act than this. one more:

"Thus there is no sleep, no pause, no preservation, but all things renew, germinate and spring. People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them."

[Taverner]

84. The fact they chose beer over Thunderbird says something

Since Thunderbird is toxic swill, but it gets you drunk on a bottle.

Beer, at its 4%, needs at least a sixer to get drunk

Shows me they're responsible folks

[eShirl]

97. in addition, the hops has its own herbal qualities to add

sort of similar to mild valerian I am told

[A-Schwarzenegger]

89. No judgment, but . . .

I know plenty formerly & currently homeless people who have gotten & stayed sober.

[Liberal_in_LA]

90. k&r

[KurtNYC]

92. Years ago some friends I went to Mexico with clothes and other items

for the poor. We found some people living beside the beach in tents. They declined our clothing, food, money, etc and offered us each a beer. They said they were okay and not poor then they told us where we could find people who really were in need.

We went to a spot where you can ride thoroughbreds on the beach and we did. Wow.

Then we drove to find the people they were sending us to: children living in a garbage dump on the southside of Tijuana. We drove over mounds of garbage on the road that is formed by garbage trucks when they bring in more trash to dump. And here and there it is on fire. Literally like driving into hell and there are children, about 6 to 10 years old, going around gathering. One gathers all the blue glass, another the clear, another the brown. There were adults living there as well, mostly the very old and they were gathering twine, corregate, plastics, aluminum, anything that could be sold or recycled. We gave away everything and then reached into our pockets for more. And one man invited us to his place (on the trash) for a drink.

It really moved me. No matter how poor they seemed to us they always offered something. You don't need possessions to have real class.

[hamsterjill]

93. When I read stories like this...

I am so ashamed of my nation for allowing people to live in conditions such as you describe when we, as a nation, have the ability to fix this problem.

I am so proud of my nation because it has people like you, who try to help.

[bobbolink]

104. Until we all take action and change this, the shame will remain.

WE allow this.

[aquart]

95. Beer tastes like soap.

I never understand beer.

[yawnmaster]

108. You aren't eating the right soap. eom

[Leopolds Ghost]

137. LOL! Soap is for pussies

I graduated to the hard stuff years ago! (Soft soap makes my skin itch.)

[rhett o rick]

121. What the H are you doing tasting soap? nm

[reggie the dog]

98. I would go back

bring them a sixer and hand each of them a joint and blaze up with them.

[road2000]

102. k&r n/t

[Mimosa]

105. K&R an excellently written OP! n/t

[Boudica the Lyoness]

106. Nothing is wrong with trying to feel good

Good for them...and you.

[kooth]

111. Homeless Couple by the Creek ...

Like several others here today, I really needed to hear this story. I'm pledging right now to start carrying extra non-perishable food and a collection of can openers so that I can hand them out when I can. This little bit just might matter to "this one."

[handmade34]

113. thanks...

and also... take a little time to sit and chat and hear 'their' story...

[bobbolink]

116. Thank you, kooth! If you would be willing to mix that with some activism for Justice, then you

will be doing what we homeless people so desparately need.. personal kindness, and the courage to change what can and SHOULD be changed.

:yourock:

[Hotler]

117. This story could be about anyone...

of us at any time.

[OneGrassRoot]

120. Huge K&R n/t

[freshwest]

123. Very wise post. Thanks for your observations.

[proud patriot]

126. excellent post

:-)

[Timbuk3]

128. I don't know your financial situation

Something they could probably use is a camp stove. This one's 25 bucks, and propane canisters are bout 5 bucks.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-Peak1-Micro-Butane-Stove/4722923

(Yeah, WalMart, but they sell them elsewhere and I knew WM had them.)

Here's a cookset for 25 bucks more.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-Anodized-Cookset/8223670

Plates, silverware and such can be picked up at a Goodwill for little money.

Maybe an air mattress, or a good sleeping bag?

Water treatment tablets (Iodine, I think) are cheap.

Not that I'd want to trade places with them, but if you have food, water, and a place to sleep you're doing well.

[DeadEyeDyck]

132. I would have given him $25

to mow my lawn.
$50 to detail my Harley
$100 to clean the gutters on my house.

[PotatoChip]

140. You have a good heart. K & R

On edit... too late for the R, but thanks for the thread and showing kindness to these poor homeless people.

[Safetykitten]

142. You give people money. It's that simple. People should not ask how they will use it.