Beggars Can Be Choosers

A couple of weeks ago, a photo posted on Facebook showing the Half Priced Books in Grand Chute throwing out hundreds of books in a dumpster behind their store generated a lot of public outcry and even some media attention.  The poster--along with hundreds of commenters--believed the company was being a "bad neighbor" by not taking all of those books and donating them to libraries or schools (even though the store already donates a substantial amount of materials to those same organizations).  Well here is another social media posting that should be getting everybody worked up.

An Oshkosh resident posted this on Monday:

The resident says the bag of food was pulled from a garbage can outside of the Taco Bell at Jackson and Murdock.  But the food wasn't dumped there by the restaurant staff.  Instead, it was thrown in there by the beggar who frequents the nearby Pick n Save driveway:

I do not give to any of the growing number of beggars in Oshkosh, or Appleton or Green Bay.  One reason is that they are often standing less than 100-feet away from businesses with signs that say "NOW HIRING".  Another reason is that despite what they write on their cardboard signs, these people are drug users and alcoholics looking for you to subsidize their addiction.  I've talked before about our recent trip to San Francisco that featured countless panhandlers everywhere we went who couldn't afford food or a place to stay--but still were able to score some pot--which they smoked right there on the sidewalk.

The Pick n Save beggar sets up shop less than half a mile from the food pantry at St Vincent de Paul on Jackson street.  He could take the first two dollars he gets from one of the suckers leaving the parking lot that pays him to ride the bus to the pantry and get far more to eat there than he will receive (and apparently throw out) at the supermarket driveway.  But those who are "moved" to help him don't think about that--and their "generosity" ends up in the garbage"

I know that some of you who base all of your decisions on emotions rather than logic really "feel" like you are helping these people by giving them money and food.  You probably also "strongly believe" that the Government should be doing more to help these people who have "obviously fallen through the social safety net".  But you are not an "angel" or "a good Christian" or even a "social justice activist".  You are an enabler.  And as long as you are willing to throw away your hard-earned cash or perfectly good food to them--they will just stay out there.  And their numbers will just continue to grow.