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Beggers and drug addicts
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Ok... well this has come up in class a few times and people have been disgusted at my attitude about it...
I give money to people on the streets, reguardless of whether I think they're on drugs and I don't care if they are going to spend what I give them on drugs and alcohol... because once you're on the street it's so hard to get off them and I believe the drugs offer comfort....
However, people in my psychology class have said that if somebody is on drugs then they don't deserve help, but isn't that a little harsh? I mean one girl said "nobody forces you to shoot up on heroine" but then has she ever been on the streets? I mean you don't know what these people have been through and personally I hate the high and mighty attitude people have, thinking they're better than other people...
I mean people make mistakes, right?
What does everybody else think?
I give money to people on the streets, reguardless of whether I think they're on drugs and I don't care if they are going to spend what I give them on drugs and alcohol... because once you're on the street it's so hard to get off them and I believe the drugs offer comfort....
However, people in my psychology class have said that if somebody is on drugs then they don't deserve help, but isn't that a little harsh? I mean one girl said "nobody forces you to shoot up on heroine" but then has she ever been on the streets? I mean you don't know what these people have been through and personally I hate the high and mighty attitude people have, thinking they're better than other people...
I mean people make mistakes, right?
What does everybody else think?
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Comments
Id give them a fag, or food but not money.
(Edited to add, addressed to MoonRat, Becky and I replied simultaneously)
I think it's better to give to charities who work with the homeless because that way it limits the option of buying drugs/alcohol but still allows them to get help.
i give them money most times.
if their comfort and warmth for the night is a shot of heroin or a bottle of cider then so be it. whatever gives them a feeling of safety and security and comfort is best known by them.
but fags are drugs...
I agree with moonrat. I give money sometimes, but then I work in a drugs project so I recognise a lot of the local users and they me, so they tend not to ask.
Who are we to make moralistic judgements about someone we don't even know.
From a recent peice of work I've done on getting drug users to do research:
"payment by non-cash methods (ie vouchers) may reflect negative stereotypes of IDUs [Injecting Drug Users] and places the researcher in a moralistic position, not affording participants the dignity and respect to make their own choices. Discrimination against IDUs is premised upon the perception that IDUs are irresponsible and not to be trusted. At the same time, researchers desire not to be complicit in the participant's drug use nor cause any harm. The potential harm associated with following ethical reimbursement practices is that the person may use cash payment from research to purchase drugs, and this may result in overdose or other drug-related harms. (Ritter et al. 2003).
We believes that reimbursement for involvement in research is a non-discriminatory practice showing respect and justice."
I normaly give a little to the local homeless people near me, mainly because I would want them to give me money if I was in their situation.
I really dont like the way a lot of people can just ignore them as though they arent there at all.
but if you ignore them they disappear ... :rolleyes:
it pisses me off too, the way people ignore them and worse, when drunken jerks decide to give one a good kicking on the way home for fun.
those that do ask and to big issue sellers I say something like "no thanks, not today, sorry"
its just impolite to ignore someone who's speaking to you
Their drug/alcohol use is a result of their homelessness, and not the other way around.
They have little or nothing going for them, and many will be tragically dead within 10 years of sleeping rough. I can't blame them for trying to escape reality when they have the chance. Hell, on occasion I have bought them a beer myself.
And I hate people who judge homeless addicts... I mean who knows what they've been through. Funny how a lot of the people who judge and who refuse to even give a homeless person the time of day are fairly comfortable in living themselves.
Are you sure? I think you underestimate the cost and cause of a drug/alcohol addiction.
One thing that got me was in London at Christmas time, this geezer was all huddled up and it was freezing and there was about £4 in his hat... I mean how many people are in London and how many are earning enough to live in a big ass house with two cars and a nice holiday abroad every year? I recognise that people are struggling, like families on the dole are struggling to feed their kids and maybe that's ok if they don't give... but all these rich people... 50p would really kill them?
Maybe it's culture, I don't know, but especially in the winter I believe that it's a time where people on the streets truelly do need our charity whether they're drug addicts or not.
most addicts are middle class and above in the social scale. most addicts wether it be heroin or whiskey ...work for a living or have wealthy family.
how come the people at the bottom ALWAYS ...get the blame. the stigma. the grief?
the well heeled don't only use most of the illegal drugs they also import them and sell them ...so if anyone wants to judge and lay blame ...think about it.
the homeless aren't the ones who can afford to bring in ship loads of drugs and distribute them!
:yes: I also ask them if they would like a hot drink, or if they would like me to buy them some food . If they don't accept it, it's a big "fuck you" to them because they would only spend it on somethine like whiskey or something. I too would rather donate to charities that get people off the street, especially when the weather gets bad.
I find that a very condescending and arrogant attitude actually. Who are you to decide what they need?
well said blagsta!
for all you christian minded folk ... jesus was slagged off something rotten by the religous leaders of the day for spending to much time with ...thieves, prostitutes and beggars! when he was asked why he spent all this time with such loosers ....his answer ...these were the people who ...NEEDED him.
something to think about aye?
There are only 3 people in I'd give my money to, a guy who is in his 40's who sells the big issue, I've got him a coffee once or twice too. A really old guy who has been playing a xylophone for at least 20 years in the same 2 places and a black christian guy who plays the guitar until 4am.
The rest are all permanatly spaced out, and were banned from the city centre when it turned out that they were also living off benefits and had houses. Bastards.
I find attitudes like yours quite morally reprehensible actually. Where is your evidence that most of them had houses? Yes, some beggars do, but they are usually struggling with a drug habit and quite likely mental health issues as well. The majority of people with drug habits tend to have histories of mental illness or child abuse or other similar trauma. These are people each with their own individual stories and to dismiss them all as "bastards" is arrogant, unfeeling and callous.
whowhere ...are you actualy showing a certain mentality that goes with ...well goes with being a copper?
I just think it's sad that most of these 'Christians' don't even take in to account what jesus did and decide they'll fanny about and judge and preach like they're god or something.
I still disagree.
Alcoholism has a huge cost, not just financially. Whilst it isn't unusual for someone who is homeless to develp an alcohol problem as an escape, it's also fairly normal for an alcoholic to lose their home as a result of their addiction.
Ditto drugs.
Yes, it depends on the level of addiction, but being forced from your home by family - or because you don't pay the bills - isn't an abnormal situation with addiction.
To suggest that addiction has little or no role in people becoming homeless is dangerous and leads to a lack of support for people before they find themselves in such dire straits.
Exactly, its really disillusioning........ My partner has had a sandwich thrown at him when he bought one for a man asking for 'money for a sandwich'. But then he has bought a coffee and had a cigarette and a chat with other people before too, so not everyone is scamming for substance money......