by Kat Parkinson

Created on: February 21, 2009

In Little Rock, Arkansas, under the urban glow of streetlights, a hamburger travels from an idealistic college student's hand to an older homeless man's hand. The homeless man gives an impromptu 30 second sermon on God and then unwraps his dinner as he fades into the unlit part of the street. What did the young co-ed teach him, and what did he teach her?

Some assert that giving to beggars doesn't help them in the long run and actually hurts them by taking away their motivation to work. That argument is founded on the idea that laziness and begging go hand in hand. A person could be begging because he or she is too lazy to work, but could just as easily be in poverty while between jobs or paying off uninsured medical expenses, for example.

In truth, no one can know how a person came to be destitute without taking the time to listen to that person's story. Only then can anyone even begin to start judging. What's more, listening enables the benefactor to find out the specific needs of the poverty-stricken person and address them directly. Then, instead of money, the alms can be a clean pair of socks, a wool hat, or a hot meal.

On a regular workday people carry out interactions with the surface roles of others, such as colleague, boss, client, vendor. It is easy to feel out of touch with the profound and earthy level of humanity. When a stranger on the street walks up and asks for help, that beggar is giving someone the opportunity to do something for someone else simply for the sake of the human condition. No one is teaching anyone to be lazy. The giver is saying, "I notice that you are a human" and the receiver is learning that the giver is humane.

Even if a beggar didn't actually need the food, clothes, or money gift, how can anyone know that refusing the gift teaches any more lessons than giving does? Furthermore, who can presume to teach work ethic to another adult met on the street? Someone that has chosen to beg for alms has already willingly sacrificed something that others sometimes die for: pride. Especially in a city, social norm prohibits soliciting help from any passer-by. The panhandler is likely aware of this and believes that his or her need weighs heavier than the embarrassment. The beggar becomes vulnerable in front of strangers. Who can then judge this vulnerable person to be a dog that shouldn't be fed table scraps for fear that he will learn bad habits?

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