Homeless shoe guy wants his piece of the pie

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MjrMajorMajor
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03 Dec 2012, 11:16 am

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50052716/ns ... LzOmoZ0k1I


Greed is an ugly thing. That said, I wish people use the "good samaritan" coverage as a vehicle to explore more effective solutions for homelessness prevention. Why not let the Red Cross get some media, too?



MrXxx
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03 Dec 2012, 11:37 am

Um what? The Red Cross needs more media coverage? Since when?

Who doesn't already know about the Red Cross?


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hyperlexian
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03 Dec 2012, 12:08 pm

a homeless person could get rolled on the streets for their shoes if they are too fancy or expensive. i bet he sold them. he is accustomed to going shoeless and doesn't need footwear anyways. silly samaritans, guessing for him what he needs. maybe they should have held onto their money and asked what he wanted it spent on or just handed the cash right over. would have saved some trouble.


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SpiritBlooms
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03 Dec 2012, 1:02 pm

hyperlexian wrote:
a homeless person could get rolled on the streets for their shoes if they are too fancy or expensive. i bet he sold them. he is accustomed to going shoeless and doesn't need footwear anyways. silly samaritans, guessing for him what he needs. maybe they should have held onto their money and asked what he wanted it spent on or just handed the cash right over. would have saved some trouble.
This. Maybe he likes to go barefoot, and maybe he traded them for something he wanted more. I think "charitable" people can be rather silly sometimes, making assumptions. Their hearts are in the right place, but their brains sometimes aren't.



CyborgUprising
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03 Dec 2012, 6:13 pm

Actually, just forking over cash is the worst idea. Many would use said cash for drugs/alcohol. This is fairly common where I live.



hyperlexian
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03 Dec 2012, 6:22 pm

well, that's probably what he did with the cash once he (likely) sold the shoes anyways. if they were worried they shoulda handed over old beat up runners instead of pretty new kicks for him to make a dime from.


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Utnapishtim
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03 Dec 2012, 7:00 pm

From a Podiatry point of view, giving him new shoes was the right thing to do.
The article states the condition of the guy's feet ("blistered and battered"), giving him a pair of second hand would likely put the guy at risk from a foot infection. If an old pair of shoes were to be carrying bacteria and fungus.



Sweetleaf
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03 Dec 2012, 7:47 pm

CyborgUprising wrote:
Actually, just forking over cash is the worst idea. Many would use said cash for drugs/alcohol. This is fairly common where I live.


Where I live there is certainly that possibility but also food is usually something homeless people are after. Anyways non-homeless people use cash for drugs and alcohol to if you don't want someone using money for that there would have to be some sort of catch. For instance if you gave them a gift card for clothes somewhere they couldn't redeem it for cash.

Throwing a homeless person a bit of cash isn't exactly improving their life, so yeah they are likely to spend it on whatever comes to mind that they are wanting money for. I've given change to homeless people but its not like I expect them to save up and buy a house or something in fact saving money is probably not the best idea for a homeless person since the more cash they have on them the more danger they are in of being robbed. So when I spare some change I know perfectly well its likely going to go to food, booze, marijuana or maybe other drugs. But hey its money I am giving them once it belongs to them I have no say what they do with it.


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ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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03 Dec 2012, 7:59 pm

I am really touched by what the cop did. What a super nice man!



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04 Dec 2012, 8:14 am

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
I am really touched by what the cop did. What a super nice man!


It would have been better if the act of kindness went unrecorded.

Here is what the Rambam (R. Moshe ben Maimon) had to say of tzedakah (what you gentiles mistakenly call charity):
Tzedakah in this context means doing the right thing.

http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker/rmbmzdkh.html

ruveyn



hyperlexian
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04 Dec 2012, 8:29 am

whoa, we aren't "mistakenly" calling it anything at all, we just have a different cultural or religious tradition than you. to the policeman, it may be called an act of charity because he paid out of pocket. whether or not other people may call it something else doesn't make the policeman incorrect.


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ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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04 Dec 2012, 10:29 am

It has become more about the cop and I appreciate his thoughtfulness and kindness but it does not solve the problem of homelessness and it will not do much to help this man who is, sadly, most likely, beyond rehabilitation. It's depressing, he will most likely die on the streets without anyone being able to do anything. I bet he would fight any kind of housing and, most likely, needs money for a drug habit. So, there isn't much anyone can do but try to make him a little more comfortable. He is definitely on the lowest rung of human existence and deserves no judgment or anger.



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04 Dec 2012, 10:33 am

I love the way the cop is being criticized.

Was it the best way to try to help? Maybe not, but at least he's got the motivation to try. Most people don't even bother and walk right on by unconcerned.

THAT is the real problem.


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ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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04 Dec 2012, 10:39 am

People get cynical because the policeman did a kind, selfless thing and the homeless man repaid him by selling the shoes or something. Not wearing them and people get so angry at the homeless man for this. Then they turn around and backlash the policeman for helping in the first place. There's no need to get angry at either one. The policeman cannot solve the problem of homelessness. The only thing he can do is try to make someone a little more comfortable and hope for the best. Some people are beyond reach. They really are. It's easy to get infuriated, but when you consider the sort of life circumstances that lead to such a depraved state, it's seems cruel to have anger and resentment or to judge, period. It is what it is.



MrXxx
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04 Dec 2012, 10:42 am

Quote:
You can lead a horse to water...


The end.


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CyborgUprising
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04 Dec 2012, 12:59 pm

Quote:
You can lead a horse to water...


...Or you can lead a horse to slaughter.


In regards to dealing with homelessness, the best thing I can think of would be to house them in units much like apartments (where they perform basic tasks and work towards the upkeep of the complex in lieu of paying rent) and have financial management courses and vocational studies so the individuals can learn how to be responsible with their money and learn a trade (of course this would be contingent upon their desire to help themselves -- one cannot change those not willing to change). Unfortunately the U.S. probably cannot afford this given the current economic situation. Of course, getting anyone to agree on this this is a "whole 'nother Oprah:" Inevitably, some are going to argue that such a program sounds too "socialist," with others claiming it is too "conservative."