Should we give money to beggars?

Should we give money to beggars?
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Flavia.lm 1 10 100
Question: Should we give money to beggars?

Answer:

I particularly prefer not to give any money to beggars, not even when they seem to be hungry. When I have the opportunity, I pay something for them to eat. Being a beggar became a very profitable "profession" here in my area. I encourage you to read the link below (in Pt) and comment about it:
http://vejasp.abril.com.br/revista/edic ... um-emprego

Now it is your turn.
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Isa Mara Lando é uma referência entre os profissionais de tradução. Ela já traduziu mais de 100 livros, entre eles estão obras de autores aclamados, como: George Orwell, Salman Rushdie e Walter Isaacson (a biografia de Einstein). Nesta aula gratuita, Isa dá várias dicas de vocabulário. ACESSAR AULA
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Marcio_Farias 1 24 214
Too many beggars and panhandlers and not enough alms givers here in Recife. You can no longer hit the sidewalk without getting hit by the beggars. My city authorites have about given up hope of getting the beggars off the streets. Windshield cleaning-street kids pose another problem. No sooner do my city authorities get them off the streets than they get back. These kids have aggressively stuck the panhandling palm of their hands through the windows of cars at nearly every intersection stop.

I haven't voted for my city authorities nor have they voted for me. I don't think these kids will ever think of voting for them either.
The problem of beggars is not unique to Brazil, in fact we have the same problem in many cities in the United States.

While I will not deny that there are many people who need our help, there are also many who are professional beggars, and at least in Pensacola Florida, they are organized. A man or woman will "work" one street corner for a few days and then disappear for a week or more, returning for a few days at a later time. If one is observant you can determine the pattern that the beggars use to work the more lucerative corners as they move around the city, this is an attempt to avoid over exposure. Most of them carry hand made signs saying "Homeless Anything Helps God Bless", or "Homeless Vet(eran) Anything Helps God Bless".

One day about a year ago I saw a different sign which read "Homeless Vet, Hungry, Will Work For Food". Well I had some yard work that I needed help with so I stopped and offered the man US $20.00 plus a meal for a couple of hours work. He replied, "Sorry man I can not afford that, I'll make more just standing here". Later that same day I saw the same man walk across the street to a Wal Mart parking lot, get into a very nice late model Toyota (newer and nicer than my car) and drive away.

Needless to say I do not give money to beggars, and believe in the addage "Give a man a hand up, not a hand out".
ailime 2
The issue of the beggars is chronic in any country and of couse it bothers us a lot. As Bill said, some of them are really in need, but on other hand, there are loads of them taking advantage of our feelings of pity and sympathy, not even hesitating to exploit children to increase their earnings.
I am not used to giving money to the beggars, but once I was stopped at the traffic light and a man approached me, I got scared because he did not seem an ordinary beggar, so I quickly grabbed 10 reais and gave him. The man jumped for joy and went away; that gave a huge relief since I was afraid of being robbed or kidnapped. After that for four or five days in a row, the man stood there at the same time, probably waiting for more easy money. I managed to escape from him by slowing down my car when I saw a red traffic light from a certain distance and I waited it to turn green before approaching him. I came to an obvious conclusion that if you do not feed them they would not be there.

I totally agree with the saying: "If a man is starving, don't give him a fish. Give him a fishing pole and teach him how to fish". If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

ailime
Daniel.S 1 2 11
I used to give them money though now I don't give them a penny.

And the reason for this is so clear. As alime posted before we'd better teach these people how to make money and deserve it if they still have their bodies working. Otherwise, we would teach people not to face challenges but wait and see what comes next.

Nevertheless, I must point out that in a very critical situattion I wouldn't hesitate on giving them what they need (if I do have it, of course).

It's such a controversial issue.

Take care,

Daniel
Flavia.lm 1 10 100
Daniel,
Once I was driving home, bringing a McDonalds Nº2 along with me. I stopped at the traffic light and a very small boy asked for money. I offered my french fries and he... he said "no, I prefer money" !!!
COMO COMBINAR PALAVRAS EM INGLÊS
Nesta aula, o professor Denilso de Lima, autor do livro "Combinando Palavras em Inglês", ensina como as collocations (combinações de palavras) podem ajudar você a falar inglês com mais naturalidade. ACESSAR AULA
Flavia.lm 1 10 100
ailime escreveu:(...)

I totally agree with the saying: "If a man is starving, don't give him a fish. Give him a fishing pole and teach him how to fish". If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

ailime
Some politicians should read that... (just a thought...)
ailime 2
Correcting myself:

I said: I came to an obvious conclusion that if you do not feed them they would not be there.

It should be: I came to an obvious conclusion that if you do not feed them they will not be there.
Or: I came to an obvious conclusion that if you didn't feed them they would not be there.

Air head ailime!! :cry:
Ailime,

How about: "I came to the obvious conclusion that ... ."

Furthermore you are not an airhead, otherwise your self corrections would not have been spot on. :D

Idiom - Spot on
ailime 2
Thank you Bill for your comment!! :D :D

Best regards!
Thomas 7 62 296
I was pleased to see that Márcio was using the term "panhandler". It is much more common in the USA than "beggar".

Years ago, as I was walking through a park, a panhandler told me he was hungry. By coincidence, I had an extra sandwich with me. I gave it to him. He looked at it and said, "I don't like that kind of sandwich." I guess he was expecting a steak, a nice salad, some fries, and maybe a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. The sandwich was good enough for me, but not for him.
COMO COMBINAR PALAVRAS EM INGLÊS
Nesta aula, o professor Denilso de Lima, autor do livro "Combinando Palavras em Inglês", ensina como as collocations (combinações de palavras) podem ajudar você a falar inglês com mais naturalidade. ACESSAR AULA
Flavia.lm 1 10 100
Thomas escreveu:I was pleased to see that Márcio was using the term "panhandler". It is much more common in the USA than "beggar".

(...)
Thank you Thomas for providing this information.
"Beggar" or "Panhandler"? I believe that the particular geographical area of the US that you are in will dictate which term is used most often. Some people differentiate between the two by saying, a beggar will move around looking for opportunites and vulnerable people to buy his pitch, while a panhandler is less aggressive and tends to stay in one place working on the premise that a percentage of people who pass by will give.

In the US we also have Bums, Tramps, Hobos, and Vagrants all of which, like Beggars and Panhandlers, live off the generosity of others, scavenging or outright theft. Many, but not all, of the aforementioned are addicted to alcohol, or drugs, and most appear to be allergic to good old fashioned honest labor.
Daniel.S 1 2 11
Flavia:

It's funny, you know?

It's been about two years since and old and poor-looking lady began knocking on my door every now and then with a sad and suffered-life expression on her face. She is used saying (that's right she still drops by our house) she needs money to buy a propane gas tank but it seems to me that something doesn't make sense in her speech.

Can't she get a "vale-gas" which started being doled out by the government since the year 2002?

Now, I'm neither negative nor selfish but a bit more realistic. Lula's government has helped many people across this country and I feel that there are still people specially in Brazil (regarding this issue) who are used to underestimating people's brainpower.

The other day I was told this poor lady has got a big cozy house and none of her kids are currently underemployed. So apparently this report strongly supports my thesis.

We must help people and give them a hand but never let them turn into a leech.
Marcio_Farias 1 24 214
pondedaniel, give them a finger and they will take the hand; give them a hand and they will take the arm and last but not least, give them a knee cap and they will use both of your legs.
pondedaniel escreveu:Flavia:

It's funny, you know?

It's been about two years since and old and poor-looking lady began knocking on my door every now and then with a sad and suffered-life expression on her face. She is used saying (that's right she still drops by our house) she needs money to buy a propane gas tank but it seems to me that something doesn't make sense in her speech.

Can't she get a "vale-gas" which started being doled out by the government since the year 2002?

Now, I'm neither negative nor selfish but a bit more realistic. Lula's government has helped many people across this country and I feel that there are still people specially in Brazil (regarding this issue) who are used to underestimating people's brainpower.

The other day I was told this poor lady has got a big cozy house and none of her kids are currently underemployed. So apparently this report strongly supports my thesis.

We must help people and give them a hand but never let them turn into a leech.
Pondedaniel,

If I may a few suggestions: "It's been about two years since an old and poor looking lady ... a sad and suffering expression ... She says ... doesn't make sense in her spiel.

Can't she ... doled out by the goventment in 2002.

Now ... still people especially in Brazil ... .

The other day ... of her kids are unemployed.

Please let me know what you think about my suggestions.
COMO COMBINAR PALAVRAS EM INGLÊS
Nesta aula, o professor Denilso de Lima, autor do livro "Combinando Palavras em Inglês", ensina como as collocations (combinações de palavras) podem ajudar você a falar inglês com mais naturalidade. ACESSAR AULA
Marcio_Farias 1 24 214
How about "... which the government has doled out since the year 2002"?
Flavia.lm 1 10 100
w.slayman escreveu:(...)
Now ... still people especially in Brazil ... .

The other day ... of her kids are unemployed.

(...)
@ all: regarding Bill's correction about the usage of "especially" instead of "specially", I suggest you read: especialmente-specially-x-especially-t6575.html, "especially" the comments by Henry.

@ Bill: when Daniel used "underemployed" I guess he meant "low-waged".
Marcio,

Thank you for pointing out my error, I used "in" when I intended to use, ... government has doled out "since" 2002. I deliberately deleted "the year", as I feel it is redundant, since 2002 very strongly implies a year.

Again thanks for pointing out that I need to check my posts more carefully.
Flavia.lm escreveu:
w.slayman escreveu:(...)
Now ... still people especially in Brazil ... .

The other day ... of her kids are unemployed.

(...)
@ all: regarding Bill's correction about the usage of "especially" instead of "specially", I suggest you read: especialmente-specially-x-especially-t6575.html, "especially" the comments by Henry.

@ Bill: when Daniel used "underemployed" I guess he meant "low-waged".
Flavia,

I did not consider the possibility that he was using underemployed in the sense that their wages would be low. In that case the word "underemployed" would be, "As right as rain." Again thank you for correcting me.

An Idiom - As right as rain.
Daniel.S 1 2 11
@Bill:

and - that was a typo.."an" and not "and"

spiel - never heard that one before, thank you for sharring. Anyway, using the word speech in that sentence wouldn't be wrong, right?

suffered - that's right Bill I'd rather say suffering..

As for underemployed, I meant inadequately employed, especially employed at a low-paying job that requires less skill or training than one possesses, so that's underemployed, like I said.

I feel that the year 2002 sounds a bit too formal.

have a nice day Bill,

Daniel
COMO COMBINAR PALAVRAS EM INGLÊS
Nesta aula, o professor Denilso de Lima, autor do livro "Combinando Palavras em Inglês", ensina como as collocations (combinações de palavras) podem ajudar você a falar inglês com mais naturalidade. ACESSAR AULA
Daniel,

Using the word speech, while absolutely correct, does not imply that the speech is a confidence game where spiel, implys that the speech is a trick or not honest, i.e. a confidence game or con for short. Or in everyday life, a spiel is anything a politician says. :lol:

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_trick for a laundry list of synonyms.

My appologies for not recognizing the posibility of the alternate meaning of your sentence, and yes underemployed, as you used it is "Picture Perfect". Sometimes I feel that I am learning more about English than I am helping others learn.

"Picture Perfect" - An Idiom
Marcio_Farias 1 24 214
w.slayman escreveu:[...] I deliberately deleted "the year", as I feel it is redundant, since 2002 very strongly implies a year.
Yes, Bill, it sounds redundant indeed.
I think that we shouldn't give money to beggars. Although most of them have lived like that since always and don't know another way of life, there's no excuse for such behavior. It is a social problem extremely complicated and difficult to solve.
Marcio_Farias 1 24 214
Maria Helena, what do you propose to solve this oddly complicated social problem: dispatch all the beggars/panhandlers to a concentration camp in order to free the streets or get your city authorities to really work hard in order to provide beggar/panhandler boarding thus outright solving the problem?

Do you have another guess coming?
I don't know if I agree with giving money to beggars, because when we give them money, a lot of people says we are encouraging them to keep in the streets, but imagine that some children are going to school, trying to have an education and have a better life, but they don't have home nor money to survive, how are they going to live? And if this 'beggar' comes to us and ask us for money, should we deny? I don't know...
COMO COMBINAR PALAVRAS EM INGLÊS
Nesta aula, o professor Denilso de Lima, autor do livro "Combinando Palavras em Inglês", ensina como as collocations (combinações de palavras) podem ajudar você a falar inglês com mais naturalidade. ACESSAR AULA
ernando 2
I prefer (as Flavia does) to give them anything but money. Some of them could use the money that I gave to buy alcohol drinks or even drugs, so I guess that it's better to give them food and clothes.
No, because this encourage them to stay in the streets and not get a job!