Beggars have long been a problem in our society. The disheveled, miserable
people who line the downtown streets of any major city are our society's most
visibly obvious signs of social and economic failure.
  Street beggars present a special problem for the thinking person, because
they have all manner of different backgrounds. Many of them are genuinely
needy people who desperately need money to buy food to live. However, many of
them will, in fact, use the money they receive from begging to buy drugs
(whether illegal or legal, such as alcohol or cigarettes), and many of them
are simply lazy and would rather beg than get a real job. How do you separate
the people who really need your money from those who don't? The question is a
serious one, and that's why many people, even quite generous people, don't
usually give money to beggars because they don't know if that money will be
used for good or not.
  If you walk downtown a lot, then you encounter beggars a lot, and there are
several systems you can devise to deal with them. If you are not particularly
busy and you have a lot of spare time on your hands, you can in fact talk to
them. Most beggars are quite lonely people, and would be willing to share a
conversation with you. If you are really interested in hearing some peoples'
stories, there is nothing stopping you from asking them what their story
really is, why they have no family to look after them and why they are unable
to get a job (even a minimum-wage job) to at least buy food. If they are able
to give real answers and their answers satisfy you, then perhaps you will be
convinced that they really do deserve a small contribution.
  If you do not have the time for such a plan, but you are somewhat wealthy
and unusually generous, you can make a habit of carrying food with you. You
can carry a small backpack or duffel bag with small, simple food items like
sandwiches, and instead of giving money, offer a meal to beggars who you
meet. This is, I believe, a much better idea than simply giving them money,
since then you will know that they will not go out and use your money to buy
drugs tonight.
  I remember one occasion when I was walking downtown and met a beggar who
was asking for money. It happened that I was carrying a pizza with me that I
was going to bring to some other people. However, it was an opportune time
for me to offer a snack to this man who, apparently, was in need of some
sustenance. I asked him if he was hungry, proffering the pizza toward him and
suggesting that he take a slice or two. He looked at it and answered: "No
thanks." I nodded and moved on. Apparently this beggar was, in fact, not
hungry. I'm not sure what he was planning to do with the money that he
received from people, but I was glad that I did not simply give him a few
dollars; That money that I kept can and probably will be put to much better
purposes.
  Whichever way you decide to deal with street beggars depends on you, and
how much spare money and time you have. It seems clear, however, that if more
people in our society paid just a little more thought to those people huddled
on the streets, and adopted a more sensible attitude toward them than simply
thrusting an occasional dollar or two at them in passing, then our cities
would be friendlier and cleaner. So next time you see one, think about what
you could do with that person. See them for what they are: A real person,
just like you, not an enemy or a pest, but someone in need of help, whether
financial, psychological, or otherwise. Even if you give them no money, a few
polite words or some other form of acknowledgement can do wonders to help a
person who is afflicted mainly by cold glares for most of the day.
  Beggars are interesting people. And the thing about them is, they all want
your attention, so you can feel pretty sure that they will pay attention to
you if you stop to talk to them. You never know what may happen.