I recently read a story about a pregnant woman who was panhandling in San Diego with her five year old. She was later caught getting into a Mercedes and the photos went viral. Everyone acted as if it was some kind of scandal, but allow me to bring some actual reality to this situation. First, the Mercedes was a old model that is only worth a couple of grand. Most homeless families are living in cars or hotels, this is not uncommon. Many women find themselves in divorces or domestic abuse situations that leave them with little recourse. Another point that the news agencies brought up was she was seen leaving with a man, again this is not bizarre. She could be married, or as the case in many situations of poverty, mothers will often make unthinkable compromises in life to keep food on the table. Finally, the news reported that they were able to track the license plate to a $2,000 a month apartment, but it appeared they had moved. They said this in such a way as to imply that they were trying not to get caught, but there is another option (are you ready for this?)...its possible they dont live in that home anymore because they are homeless! People do not have to fit into everyone elses judgmental view of what poverty looks like. Maybe they have a nice car because its all they have left from their former life and it is smarter to keep a car that is running than trade it for a clunker. If a homeless guy is wearing nice shoes, its more likely that someone gave them to him, then that he is spending hundreds on his feet instead of food. Over the last decade of service to the poor, I have seen a lot of things, but more often than not, the truth is, the stories of tragedy are real and the last thing anyone needs is a bunch of untrained non-professionals thinking theyve got it figured out. If you want to do good, donate to a local charity or give money out your car window. But for the love of humanity, keep your uneducated opinions to yourself, because real peoples hearts are hurt because of it.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 04:20:25 +0000
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