It’s discouraging to witness a fellow human being sitting on the corner with a sign claiming to be homeless, starving, and desperate. When you witness a generous citizen hand the needy a couple dollars, hoping they fulfilled their wish of eating for the day, you experience a feeling of caring and joy. However, I have witnessed this several times, that same desperate woman on the corner in raggedy clothing and clumped hair. I felt contemplative about doing a so-called good deed until I witnessed her one night board a fairly new Jeep Liberty in a nearby parking lot. This baffled me and made me wonder who are desperate from the dishonest. Panhandling is a growing problem and what seems to me has become a trend in the United States today. It is hard to get away from panhandling and the negative effects it brings on society, including the panhandlers themselves. Thus, if I could ban anything in the world, I would ban panhandling. Lately, panhandling has become a nuisance. It is uncommon to pull up to a busy intersection without seeing one, even multiple people on each corner with a sign in hand. It is degrading to the eye appeal in which they are panhandling. Seeing a large amount of panhandlers or even unkempt homeless citizens can make people uncomfortable around that area. Also, panhandlers leave a large amount of street pollution. Areas where panhandling is popular are usually littered with an excessive amount of trash such as: bottles, wrappers, and cigarette butts (which are not biodegradable). Panhandling has become such a problem that I have avoided certain areas I have great interest in. For instance, my friend and I had just departed the max train and started walking towards Saturday Market, It wasn’t even a minute before... ... middle of paper ... ...ith jobs that have lower standards but with a source of income. Jobs can involve something for the community like maintaining parks or picking up litter. Either way, they will be a step closer to becoming a part of the functional society we live in. Banning panhandling has many positive effects. As stated in the sections above, society will be more comfortable going to the places they once avoided. Areas that used to have panhandling will be more inviting to travelers and those who currently reside there. The panhandler will learn what it’s like to earn the things they desire just like the majority of the human race. They will learn how to take on responsibilities and chose their priorities based off their need for survival. The dishonest can rejoin the rest of society and the ones who need help can receive proper assistance in order to function and thrive.
Lars Eighner's short essay, "Dumpster Diving," reveals the stereotypes about homelessness in America. In order to confirm these known stereotypes about American culture, Eighner includes autobiographical accounts of the economically inferior class, as well as revealing his elitist rules that governs the life of a homeless person. According to Eighner, homeless people fall into the following categories, 'can scroungers', 'Dumpster divers', and 'scavengers.' (Eighner, 1993). In addition, Eighner's blatant demonstration of his superiority to the people he scavenges from reveals his true character of snobbery.
However, Gresham is different because it prohibits far more forms of solicitation than in this case. Unlike Gresham, our ordinance allows for solicitations for immediate donations of money upon any street, public place, or park, as long as the solicitation is not made vocally. Furthermore, Astons panhandling ordinance does not prohibit any nighttime panhandling anywhere within the city, rather it only prohibits nighttime verbal panhandling in the Square. Although the statute in Gresham prohibited far more forms of solicitation than our ordinance, the court still held that the statute allowed for “many feasible alternatives.” Given this, the Aston anti-panhandling ordinance leaves open ample alternative methods of communication because panhandlers may panhandle in any area of the city outside of the Square, solicitors may make any solicitation requests within the city, both during the daytime and the nighttime, as long as the solicitation is non-verbal, panhandlers can hold up signs requesting money, as well as engage in street performances such as playing music or dancing. Thus, like the ordinance in Gresham, that restricted far more forms of solicitation in our case, the Aston’s anti-panhandling statute leaves open ample alternative channels of
In the article “I Need a Dollar: Should you give to the New York 's Homeless?”, published on Gawker.com on July 28, 2014, Paul Cantor argues the issue of whether or not you should give money to a panhandler. Like Cantor, I have been approached several times by people asking for money. Often times I wondered, "how did you end up in this situation?” More often than not I find myself leaning towards the negative connotation; that it is their fault they’re in these circumstances. However, I generally feel that I can spare a buck or two. Cantor suggests "maybe nine out of every ten panhandlers are lying." Even if every dollar you hand out goes to something it shouldn 't, what is it really hurting? I agree with Cantor. Americans spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars a year on coffee
The United States will continue to be a developed country if the numbers of people holding cardboard on the street do not decrease. 1 out of 7 people in U.S suffer from hunger and are forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelters or cars (Hunger and Homelessness 1).Every year, the homeless population grows in United States. People become homeless because of many reasons. Because they are homeless, they have been struggling in every way that human possible can have. In order to get back on their feet, they need help in every way. The homeless population is increasing drastically in society. People who are more fortunate than others should put social status aside and take an action to help homeless people to get back on their feet.
Seeing a homeless person on the street asking for money does not necessarily mean that he is a lazy bum who has given up on life. There are many people who have jobs but are still homeless because they cannot afford things due to our very bad economy. Others are Vietnam veterans who have gone through so much in the Vietnam War that their lives will never be the same. The most common reason for people being homeless is people who are mentally ill. Some cannot pay to get treated and end up on the streets because no one will hire them which makes it almost impossible for them to receive money. You could be well educated and have a well paying job but still be homeless due to our current economic situation.
Most people feel that they should help the needy in some way or another. The problem is how to help them. This problem generally arises when there is a person sitting on the side of the road in battered clothes with a cardboard sign asking for some form of help, almost always in the form of money. Yet something makes the giver uneasy. What will they do with this money? Do they need this money? Will it really help them? The truth of the matter is, it won't. However, there are things that can be done to help the needy. Giving money to a reliable foundation will help the helpless, something that transferring money from a pocket to a man's tin can will never do.
Homelessness in America is almost an epidemic. There are millions of people in the United States alone who suffer from homelessness, meaning they are without, a roof over their head at night, and without food. Many people just overlook it, and don’t realize how big of an issue this really is. Being homeless just doesn’t happen in a specific part of the United States, it happens everywhere across the country, even in the places you would never expect. It happens in the wealthiest of places, and the poorest of places, one place being Newark, Ohio, and the local communities surround it. With it being so close to where we live, there is so much we could be doing to help those who are suffering from it, but instead we drive right by them not even
Seeing people that is homeless in Houston is a heart breaking situation to see so many people that are homeless. I make several trips to Houston off of 288 to the medical center I see homeless men that holds up signs asking for help out themselves or their family. On several different occasion that I have went into a fast food place and bought food and went and give it to them instead of giving them money. I am wrong for doing that instead of giving the money. I just have thought about if I give them money will they go get food or drugs with it; I asked myself should I be like that or not. As you drive under the under passes you can see people stuff under the bridge and that’s where the homeless live trying to get cool during the summer and keep warm in the winter. “Authorities estimate that Houston ranks fourth in the country in terms of homeless number, with more than 40,000 people per year
As one young person was heard to remark, “You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without a job.” That dilemma can be overcome, however, by starting work early in life and by accepting simpler jobs that have no minimum age limit and do not require experience. Jobs Teens Can Do Begin early at jobs that may not pay especially well but help to establish a working track record: delivering newspapers, babysitting, mowing lawns, assisting with gardening, and the like. Use these work experiences as springboards for such later jobs as sales clerks, gas station attendant, fast-food worker, lifeguard, playground supervisor assistant, and office staff assistant (after you have developed basic office skills). As you progress through these work exploration experiences, try increasingly to get jobs that have some relationship to your career plans.
In our nature, we have the habit of throwing as much stuff possible even if it’s something that is still usable. A small imperfection makes them liable to throw it away, yet there are people out there who have nothing to eat and are constantly hunting for food, even if it isn’t a real hot meal. They just need something to fulfill their digestive need. Food should be viewed with much more value and respect rather than ignoring and throwing it as if it’s trash and not life essential. The statement we constantly hear but fail to acknowledge is that “some people have it much worse” and there are those who really do. People who don’t have a cent to their name are going through dumpsters and eating the food that you threw out. There’s a huge amount of homeless people in our nation yet our government still fails to take action. It is for this reason that I believe the community should recognize homelessness as a problem and petition government to take action against it.
Homeless citizens are often considered a burden, more over, society’s burden. The down-and-out seem, to the average citizen, to be habitually on drugs, or prone to violent behaviour. Should it not be our responsibility to help those who can not help themselves? That is just it, some of the impoverished are living under such appalling conditions that they can not pick themselves up onto their own strength. I have a few questions that I would like the average person to think about regarding the homeless: Why are they on the streets? What can they do about it? Is this society’s dilemma and should society lend a selfless helping hand to clean up the streets? These are just a few questions that I will attempt to give my opinion on and if one does not agree that they may, without prejudice, hear what I have to say. I hope that one would honestly take to heart the value of a human life. People all have a living, breathing soul in need of some sort of ‘fire’ in order to kick-start their life back together.
The ways in which they approach the people are being criminalized. Critics are convinced the laws criminalize neediness and homelessness and generally tried to be forced from business interests or homeowners not wanting them near their property (Wiltz). Opposers don’t see there being a problem by allowing them to panhandle and gain dependency on people, but truth be told, they aren't the ones that give them a dollar or five every single day because there's days in which they get hardly much if anything to live off for the
We, Aimee Johnson and Jessie Virnig, along with Amy Wilson and Shawn Klimek, decided to try to give the homeless a little hope. The week before Christmas we went door to door and collected food for the local homeless shelter. We decided to focus on collecting food because around the Christmas season, a lot of emphasis is put on toy drives and people sometimes overlook the fact that the homeless still need to eat. In order to broaden our research, we decided to collect food from more than one group of people. We went to an average middle class neighborhood and to a college dormitory. Before we went out into the neighborhood and dorms, we prepared a thank you letter to give to everyone explaining to them who we were, to tell them that we were collecting food for the homeles...
I always see a homeless person. Whether on the streets, an alley or even the subway. You’ll always see one every time you visit. I get to help one homeless person one time while I was staying in the city for 3 days. It was 12:30 am and I was about to head back to the hotel, but I was thirsty, so I went to a convenience store near, when I saw a girl sitting outside a convenience store. She looks young, probably a young adult. I was thinking, maybe that girl hadn’t eaten anything, and if maybe I could grab her some food. I went inside the store, the only thing I need to buy is a bottle of water, but I ended up buying sandwiches, fruits and a two bottles of water. I took 1 bottle of water out and give the rest of the bag to her. She was smiling and said “thank you”. My response is “you’re welcome” and smiled back. Helping the homeless is one of the little things that makes me happy. It might a small thing for me, but if I put it on their perspective, it is something very
My field trip to the Osgood law soup kitchen was truly an eye opening experience. After this trip, I took time to think about the preconceived notions I had of those who are less fortunate or as they are commonly referred to by most of society, homeless or bums. As probably most people do, when I thought of those who are homeless and or in need of food, the same stereotypical image and associated smell come to mind. The ragged/dirty clothes and bad smell is what I would commonly associate with the word homeless or bum. However, on this field trip, all that I thought I knew about p...