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Yolanda Radzewicz, 55, homeless since 2000, pan handles in Philadelphia. Radzewicz said she would like to get off the street, but refuses to stay in shelters.

Some homeless do not deserve help

By: Theodore Speedy

Posted: 5/9/08

Should you reward a disobedient child with candy? No - at least, you aren't a good parent if you do. So, should you reward a bum for his laziness with your spare change? No - at least, you aren't a good citizen if you do.

You may ask yourself, "What does this guy know about kids?" or, "Why does this guy not like homeless people?"

To begin with, I have always known there are a lot of homeless people in Philadelphia; you see them around 7- Eleven all the time. But, until I started co-op this spring, I didn't realize how many bums actually live and beg on the street. There are actually 4,000 homeless people in the city at any given time. When I come out of work, there they are, waiting for my change. I don't usually give to bums begging, although that isn't always the case. I once gave five dollars to a man who spoke to me for 20 minutes about his whole life story, and how he needed the money to buy a bus ticket to see his mother.

But here are two cents I've saved for you, readers.

First, I don't dislike homeless people; I just dislike some things about them - they bother me when I'm late for work and when they pee in the subway, mostly. But I believe there is a critical difference between those who are homeless and those who are just bums. Homeless people are homeless for a number of reasons; they may choose to be homeless, they may be mentally unstable, they may be down on their luck and perhaps just got kicked out of their home. These people, I feel, need and deserve to be cared for by the greater part of society, which should watch over them and treat their problems or provide them with the necessary arrangements they need to re-start their lives.

There is a woman who I see most days around City Hall who looks for food in trash cans. She has almost reverted to an animal-like instinct of collecting food. I feel terribly sad in my heart when I see her. She is the kind of person that deserves to be given a safe place to live. I do not think we should allow her to live this way in our country. However, it is a sad fact that many homes for mentally challenged people are under-funded, and some close down, forcing the patients to live on the street, unable to find a new home. Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-Pa.) has been working diligently to pass a bill to prevent the closing of state hospitals, but it has been a tough fight and may not be enough.

We cannot continue to allow this hidden sect of our population to go un-helped. It is a disgrace to our city and to us that we have no concern for these people except the impact they make on our tax bills and our eyes.

However, I make no excuses for general idleness and laziness. People who refuse to work - and by doing so use the resources of our city without contributing anything - and who only prey off of the naiveté of others while we work to support ourselves, should not be given anything. It is these people I refer to as "bums." They are the people who sit on the corner of the street holding a sign and cup, asking for money. Should we give these people the time of day, let alone our change? I say no.

I laugh when I see the people who have apparently written their whole life story on a piece of cardboard. Who has the time to read it? What happened to the signs that read, "Homeless, need food"? The only thought I give them is where could they have gotten the marker to write the sign with? Also, they are usually sitting, which makes me less inclined to give. First, I don't want to bend over to give you a quarter, and second, if you are homeless, you should be up and about looking for a job. This is what gives me the impression that they are lazy and not in fact homeless for reasons other than their own work ethic.

Another funny thing that I have experienced is a homeless man getting angry at me for giving him money. I had bought something at 7-Eleven and had gotten exactly three cents back as change. There was a bum outside, and I gave him my pennies, although grudgingly. When he looked in his hand, he had the nerve to say, "What, three cents, that's it?" What do you say to that?

But then there are those guys who actually try to earn your change. Need a pseudo caricature drawn for you? The homeless people in West Philly are pretty good, as long as you don't care for great likenesses. And I always give my change to the guy who holds the door when I leave Wawa. Now that's industry!

By helping those who can't help themselves, and by forcing those who can help themselves to start, the homeless problem would be alleviated and we would improve the city as well. SEPTA would no longer be used as an overnight hostel, and its smell would become more tolerable. The city would look cleaner, and I am sure we would all be able to sleep a little less guilt-free on a cold night if we knew we had helped fund warm beds for those who could not provide them for themselves.

I do not know how you combat laziness, but it certainly shouldn't be rewarded. Giving money to those who choose not to work solely because they "don't want to" only encourages the behavior. Do community service. Give money to an organization that funds homeless shelters, but please stop giving your change. With tuition so expensive, every cent counts. Save, or you may become one of them.

Theodore Speedy is a sophomore majoring in civil engineering. He can be reached at ed-op@thetriangle.org.