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I think it's always important when having these kinds of discussions to realize that many (if not most) of the people you see panhandling on the streets are there BY CHOICE. They travel, they don't work "regular jobs," they are drop-outs from society. Just because a person is begging on the street doesn't mean they are pitiable and just need a hand-up from a kind soul to get them back on their feet. Not to belittle the very real fact that there are true homeless people - those who are not able to work, or work enough to feed, clothe and shelter themselves and/or their family, including the mentally ill.
Where I live, virtually all of the people we would call "homeless" are of the former variety and I'm going to venture to guess that many people begging on the streets in other places are, as well.
Still, I fail to see what is so deplorable about choosing this life for yourself. What harm does it do to you? Really. In real terms, and let's not quibble about the extra pennies you pay in taxes to cover their health expenses because it's very likely, if these folks were living "normally," that they would still be assisted by government programs. It can't be that you're jealous of their lifestyle, can it? I sure as hell am not, and I don't care how much money they are making.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce
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