Begging

I see more street beggars by far in Florida than I ever do back home in Canada.  I believe this has nothing to do with the country but of the climate.  I've also noticed that street beggars in Florida don't seem to need money when the weather is bad.

A few days ago, I was stopped at a red light and there was a beautiful young woman who looked to be 9 months pregnant begging on the road.  For me this was far more repugnant than if she hadn't been pregnant because that shameless woman will very soon bring an innocent baby into the world.

I don't believe anyone has to beg in countries like Canada and the States.  There are soup kitchens and shelters for street people and that 9 months pregnant lady would have gone straight to the top of the line at any shelter.  I understand that many street people prefer to live on the streets for many different reasons...none I understand or have had the misfortune to learn about first hand.

It is wrong to give money to beggars because it simply draws them back to begging.  My heart hurt for the unborn child but I would never have given the woman money.  She appeared to be clean and actually not a street person at all as she walked among the cars with her massive belly and a serene smile on her face.  One driver couldn't resist and did give her money.

There have been many exposes on begging and it is quite lucrative.  A beggar can make hundreds of dollars a day, all tax free.  I once encountered two young teen boys, both well dressed and well fed, begging in front of Sears.  I gave them hell, telling them their hard working parents would be ashamed of them and they should be ashamed of themselves.  They ran away.  To them, begging was a fun thing to do and I sure hope no-one gave those little yuppie kids a penny.

Dee mentioned that the pregnant lady was probably already on welfare along with begging from the public.  Is it possible our children are not being taught well enough the ethics of working for a living and the shame of begging on the streets?  Tax payers are already supporting many generations of welfare takers who refuse to work.  And now those same scroungers have found a new way to take money from hard working but kindly people.  But only in good weather, of course.