Proposed Panhandling Ban Draws Georgia Protest

[Placebo]

Dozens of opponents of a proposed ban on panhandling near downtown hotels and tourists sites gathered on the steps of City Hall late Sunday for an all-night protest ahead of Monday's expected vote.

The resolution would make it illegal to beg for money in those areas, and a third offense could lead to jail time or fines.

Downtown business owners say aggressive beggars are keeping people away from the central business district.

But the protesters say the city is taking the wrong approach. Instead of a ban, they say, the city needs to get closer to the heart of the problem by offering affordable housing and a living wage for the area's homeless.

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[nosmokes]

1. homeless? beggars? here? but the economy is booming

says the bushco propaganda machine. booming i tell ya...

edit : typo

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[manic expression]

4. It's not that bad...

just let them curse at you and keep walking away. S/he's the one without a roof over their head.

[Iowa]

6. Yeah, I've encountered a few pan-handlers like that...

Your post reminds me of the days when I worked in a mental hospital. When outsiders visited the locked ward, there were always a few patients who would surround them and try to engage them in conversation - ask who they were, etc. Some were quite ill and a very few were dangerous. The visitors inevitably felt intimidated. A typical response was to pick up the pace and ignore them - as if they weren't there. This often turned out badly, with shouted insults, etc. My job brought me to the wards rather infrequently, so I encountered the same curiosity from the patients. I never had a problem because I stopped walking, turned to face them, looked them in the eye, and answered their questions. I asked their names, said I was glad to meet them, and proceeded on to complete my business. It took maybe 2 minutes, tops, and I had the opportunity to meet some very nice people (and avoid a scene).

The point is, they are people, and there is a fine line separating success from failure - illness from health - "them" from "us". Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, courtesy, and kindness. If someone proceeds to act like a jerk, he/she should be dealt with individually (hence the need for security at the mall you mentioned). But I'd be opposed to any broad-brush effort to sweep the poorest among us from our sight.

That being said, I do believe that pan-handling demeans the person doing it, and as one who is aware of better alternatives, I look with great skepticism upon those who do it. I have known thousands of people with mental illness, physical disabilities, and addictions who were able to meet their needs without pan-handling - often through a combination of work, SSI/SSDI, and with the assistance of the various human service programs available. But that was then and this is now. As the Republicans work on eliminating the safety net entirely, while exporting our jobs and lowering our pay, there may be no alternative for some people.

[bluestateguy]

3. If you make homelessness illegal, then you won't have a homeless problem!

:eyes:

[wli]

5. more prisons: Cheney's solution to the housing bubble and unemployment n/t

[Ian David]

7. My idea is maybe they can sell maps and give directions for money

I know that when I'm lost in a strange city, I would gladly pay someone a dollar for directions on how to get someplace.

Or even walk along to show them the way for a few bucks more.

If homeless people picked-up those free tourist maps, and gave people directions for a dollar, I wonder how well they would do someplace like New York or Boston.