F**K "The Homeless"

I live deep in the heart of an urban environment and I have lived in this neighbourhood for two decades. When I first moved to this street in the late 1980's, there was nary a panhandler in sight, nobody was sleeping on the street, and I could walk the streets unfettered.

These days not so much. We have become inundated with people who imply that they are homeless by begging on the street. On my street. By my own unscientific estimation, about 90% of the people in Toronto who panhandle are not homeless.

God bless us, we do have good hearts and most of us have deep compassion for one another. However, we have made a grave error in assuming that every person begging on the streets is in dire need of immediate help. In Toronto, it is patently untrue and I am sure the same is true throughout North America and Europe.

I am not against giving people money, but the majority of the money that I give goes to individuals and organisations that use my small contributions to help improve lives. When did our collective liberal bullshit coalesce to a point where we give some non homeless crack addict in front of a liquor store that is already getting free housing and a free pass every month our change?

Make no mistake, I am a proud Canadian, and I am proud to contribute to our welfare system. In dark moments in my own life, I have availed myself of the system, and I support the idea that our privileged society helps those in short term need, the truly troubled among us, and that all children of single parents should be aggressively supported. It is cheaper to educate someone than it is to imprison them.

Begging is not exclusive to Canada. I have seen it in Asia and Africa. The thing is that the people who panhandled me during my travels on those continents tended to be amputees. And elderly. No medical system, no welfare system. Truly, these poor souls were on their own, with no other option.

I walked by parents scrounging through garbage bags as their toddler children slept in a nearby doorway. They didn't ask me for money.

One night in Cambodia a girl of not more than six asked me for money using an empty baby bottle as a prop in one hand. In her other arm was an infant child.

It is an image among many that I will never forget. Sure I gave a little bit of money. Yes, I was being played, but just because I was being played does not mean that the need was not genuine. Take a moment to understand the level of human indignity, the depth of need that could cause a parent to send their children into the street begging for money. And the cultural shame that goes with begging in most of the world.

For some reason, the culture in which I live does not heap shame on begging.

Actually, I know the reason. Begging has become big business. A lot of very cushy jobs in government and the "charity" industry depend upon creating the illusion that begging is a result of some economic crisis.

The truth is rampant begging in urban streets is a result of shortsighted bleeding hearts trying to reconcile the fact that deep down in their hearts, they know that a lot of what we have is the result of destroying the lives of others and denying the same opportunity to others. The sad thing is that a bunch of con artists have moved in to fill the void.

Even sadder is the fact that people equate giving the crackhead a looney with helping the world.

Then again, I suppose it is easier than actually doing anything.

Everyday in Toronto, I am panhandled by able bodied adults. Not once did I encounter this phenomena in Asia and Africa.

As a Canadian, I am embarrassed by this state of affairs.

I guess some societies take pride in themselves and prize dignity above all.

And some don't.

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