The animals would come first for me
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Who do you help???
- Thread starter kittycorner
- Start Date
That is what I would do too... Dogs don't have pockets to put the money in anyhow
A lot of people are submitting evidence that there are drunks, addicts, mentally ill people, and scammers on the street. I think we all know that.
Scammers first: it's rarely possible to know whether the person in front of you really needs help or is using a line on you. My personal choice is to give something to anyone who asks -- partly because they may honestly be in trouble, and partly because that's the kind of person I want to be. I know for a fact that I've been scammed several times, but I refuse to let that stop me from doing whatever I can for anyone who seems to need help.
And when you give someone a sandwich and he gets angry and demands money instead... don't let it bother you. You did the right thing, the humane thing, and that's all you can do. And maybe later on, in a lucid moment, that person will recall your kindness and realize he was wrong. Maybe you will have helped him begin to change.
As for the addicted... they're sick. We cannot blame them for that. We cringe from the behavior their illness has led them into, and rightly so -- but we have no knowledge of how they ended up this way, what horrors they may have gone through, how they may have been victimized. Who are we to decide that they don't deserve a little compassion? Who among us has never made a mistake, never needed forgiveness and another chance?
The mentally ill are especially tragic. It's our own fault that they're on the street, instead of being cared for safely in a treatment facility. As a society, we refuse to fund mental health programs; as individuals, most of us help perpetuate such a powerful stigma about mental illness that many people are too ashamed to seek help even when it is available.
Let me ask one thing of you: whether you choose to buy someone a sandwich or not, at least give him a smile, just that small acknowledgement of his humanity. Yes, scammers will take that as a sign that you're an easy mark, and they'll badger you for money. But for those truly in crisis, your smile could be the only kindness they encounter all day, and I think that makes it worth the risk.
Scammers first: it's rarely possible to know whether the person in front of you really needs help or is using a line on you. My personal choice is to give something to anyone who asks -- partly because they may honestly be in trouble, and partly because that's the kind of person I want to be. I know for a fact that I've been scammed several times, but I refuse to let that stop me from doing whatever I can for anyone who seems to need help.
And when you give someone a sandwich and he gets angry and demands money instead... don't let it bother you. You did the right thing, the humane thing, and that's all you can do. And maybe later on, in a lucid moment, that person will recall your kindness and realize he was wrong. Maybe you will have helped him begin to change.
As for the addicted... they're sick. We cannot blame them for that. We cringe from the behavior their illness has led them into, and rightly so -- but we have no knowledge of how they ended up this way, what horrors they may have gone through, how they may have been victimized. Who are we to decide that they don't deserve a little compassion? Who among us has never made a mistake, never needed forgiveness and another chance?
The mentally ill are especially tragic. It's our own fault that they're on the street, instead of being cared for safely in a treatment facility. As a society, we refuse to fund mental health programs; as individuals, most of us help perpetuate such a powerful stigma about mental illness that many people are too ashamed to seek help even when it is available.
Let me ask one thing of you: whether you choose to buy someone a sandwich or not, at least give him a smile, just that small acknowledgement of his humanity. Yes, scammers will take that as a sign that you're an easy mark, and they'll badger you for money. But for those truly in crisis, your smile could be the only kindness they encounter all day, and I think that makes it worth the risk.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #24
Well that confirms it-I am definitly going to hell and you people are WAY nicer than I will ever be. Thanks for all the input and I may even change my ways and be a little nicer to people I meet in the future, but I still remain true in that I will always like animals more than I will like most people.
Carol, you are one of the most kindest hearted and caring people I've ever "met"!
Yep DH said the other day someone gave the homeless man a free meal(he was a holding a sign asking for cash). The guy looked in the bag and through it away.
I dont think anyone would know what they are going to do until they see the situation. If you see a large, scary looking dude asking for your money and across the street there is a sweet little puppy that is skin and bone, who knows what you would do. If I dont have proper defence Im not helping the person with anything more than a meal and a few bucks. Simple as that. I will not take them anywhere, you can get hurt doing that.
