I don't know if it will get published, but I thought I'd copy it here because I haven't posted much on the ol' livejournal. It's a response to several rants over panhandling (something that has Victoria frowning in consternation as we're gonna have to do something about all those "undesirables" before the Olympics tourists get here in 2010).


I've been fascinated by the reactions in the rant section of late. Both sides of the issue tend reflect my own ambivalence toward panhandling.
In this corner, we have K. Roumieu & supporters demanding in essence, "Why should I feel obliged to hand over money just because someone asks?" Well, truth is you aren't obliged to anything of the sort, not really. The rants suggest that there is a niggling trace of guilt--be it fostered by a religious upbringing, the internalizing of what it is to be a kind and generous person or what have you. If there weren't and you truly felt yourself absolved of all social responsibility for this guy, you wouldn't have to justify your actions on the rant page of the Westender. You would say, "Sorry, I can't help you," and leave it at that. So what if he's a loafer? At least he didn't defraud millions of taxpayers out of ridiculous amounts of money--now *there* would be a cause for a personal attack.
If there is a twinge of guilt, a nice way to nurture that humanitarian impulse would be to redirect any requested money to the United Way or the Gospel Mission. That way, any concern that you might be enabling an addict or (worse!) a loafer is alleviated. Next time you come across that donation box in the grocery store, put your inherent generosity there, where it can make a positive difference. Of course it lacks the gratifying exchange, where the recipient can deliver a "thank you" or some other sign of gratitude, but, then, it's not for the "thank you," is it?

Let's address the other point made by S. Grace who applauds our Caper's panhandler for posing as a visible representation of an alternative lifestyle. Sad to say, Pube-boy is doing more to support the status quo than he is to defy it. What each one of those upwardly-mobile Kits folk see is an example of what life would be like if they didn't enslave themselves to the hamster wheel: dirty, boring, smelly, surly, and (often, though perhaps not in Pube-boy's case) horrendously drug-blasted. An army of CEOs buzzing off to Bermuda on private jets couldn't inspire more loyalty to the 9-5 grind. That's why it's not in Victoria's best interest to actually *do* something about the causes of homelessness. Let's see, cut taxes for wealthy and slash programs for those in need (or even those who just need a boost)--thus, they buff the upper-echelon carrot to a squeaky, high-gloss brilliance while tossing some more fire ants into the poverty pit. People like Pube-boy do not stand in bald defiance of the system; they just unwittingly grease its gears.