[Fwd: Iraq Dispatches: Inside Abu Hanifa mosque during attack

[Jaron Omega]

On Thu, 2 Dec 2004, Gabriel Sechan wrote:

> Once upon a time, I was a poor college student.  I went to campus town to do
> some grocery shopping  Some bum (cause camputown crawled with bums) asked me
> for 5 bucks.  Being a poor college student, I didn't have it- but I did have
> groceries.  He wouldn't take them.
>
> This pretty much ended me giving direct money contributions.  He didn't want
> money to pay for food, or he would have taken my food.  He wanted to get
> drunk.  Well sorry- I'll give you money for clothes, I'll give you money for
> food, I'll give you money for a bus pass or shelter or something to help you
> get a job.  I won't give someone money so they can get drunk or high and
> perpetuate their problem.  Since then I refuse to give money to individuals-
> I only give to organizations or I buy items like food and give to the
> individuals.

I see your point, and can hardly argue against it.  I myself often feel the
same.  Though, I still think giving to an organization, in the end, only serves
to make the contributor feel good about himself.

Let's take a different story.  A few years ago, downtown, a bum approached
me.  He didn't seem like he had lost his mind among all other assets, and
well, I think he probably fell victim to life in general.  He bluntly asked
for money for booze.  The honesty, compelled me to help the guy out.  I gave
him twenty and watched him head straight for the liqour store.

Now, let me ask you.  Do you think, there is anything he could have done
with that twenty dollars to better himself moreso than a fifth?  A fifth
is what he wanted, and in drinking it the alcohol will serve to make his
condition more tolerable.  To put that man back on his feet would require
far more money I'm able to hand over.  An address to give his employeer,
a form of transportation as many insist prospective employees have, new
clothes for the interview.  A desire to still live in poverty with his
crappy minimum wage job after years of unemployment.  A will to subject
himself to the pains of dealing with typical bosses of such low paying
positions.  The stress of having to pay bills, and not having enough
income to do so.  Is it any wonder, many of the bums I've seen down-
town run around with plenty of hair?

The purpose of handing a few dollars to a bum once in a while, isn't even
so much as thinking you're making a difference.  Quite simply, it's a
gesture of understanding becuase without the liqour to replace the plasma
TVs, BMWs, La Jolla apartments, prestige jobs, what else is there?  Internal
happiness?  Crazy talk, internal happiness would be unrealistic for me
to expect from a real bum while staring at a nice UXGA LCD monitor.
I will agree that happiness within is the foundation, but you have to
remember if I left you with only the foundation of your house, you'd
feel as if nothing was left.  And, rightly so.

The drinking is a pleasure, and one of the few they have.  Just like your
TV or whatever you fancy.  To start passing judgement on what you think is
worthy of pleasure, well that's a different topic.  But, I will say that
from where you stand and where the bum stands, an attempt to judge is
very unfair.

> There's also another benefit of organizations you miss-  bulk.  Its a lot
> cheaper to build shelter for 50 or buy food for 100 than it is to do so for
> one.  If you give the money to a good, trustworthy organization you're
> probably doing more good than a direct payment.

I don't give money in an effort to eliminate poverty.  Eliminating poverty,
in a capitalistic society is impossible.  When I give money, I give money
to help.

Omega