Panhandling --begging

Cities around the United States are passing new and stricter laws to ban or limit panhandling. Begging in the streets is making people uncomfortable and threatens tourism in some areas. However, begging is protected under the first amendment as freedom of speech.

Banning panhandling does not solve the problem. It simply eliminates one of the symptoms. A symptom which I’d prefer to alleviate; I support the ban against panhandling. I don’t disagree with giving to charity. However, charity alone is not a solution. I would much rather support charities that I know my donations will be used towards providing basic needs for the homeless. When you give money to someone begging on the streets how do you know that your donation is not being used to buy drugs or alcohol?

Charity only goes so far. Government programs need to be set in place to help the homeless. I think a facility should be set up for the homeless to go to where they could be processed for welfare, given identification if needed, and basic food, clothing and shelter while their welfare is being processed. I also believe the welfare system needs to undergo great changes, but that’s another subject entirely. The main point is to make the welfare system more accessible so cities can get these people off of the streets and into programs that can help them.

Many of the homeless are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. How is someone supposed to go to a homeless welfare program when they’re an addict? Many addicts can not control their own behavior, which in all honesty is very dangerous. Free clinics need to be organized where individuals can go who have an addiction and can receive the proper care before being instituted into the welfare program. If a homeless addict is consistently cause problems for the police, I’ve no problem with the police emitting that individual into a rehabilitation center for the homeless. Sometimes people need to be given help against their will before they can realize that they need the help they’re being given.

Will this work for every homeless person? Of course, not; some people are going to slip through the cracks. Hopefully charities will be in place to catch them. I believe government rehabilitation centers for homeless addicts, and programs making welfare more accessible to the homeless will greatly decrease the number of homeless citizens sleeping on the streets. No program is perfect. But those imperfections do not mean that programs which greatly improve situations should not be utilized. At some point I think you need to draw a line at free hand outs and start doing something to change the future of the problem.