So I’m sitting here this morning on my laptop at Starbucks in downtown San Jose. For those of you that know the area I’m at Paseo De San Antonio and 2nd street. Now before I go farther I’m going to disclose that I do not give money to any pan handlers, I feel that it promotes the problem and it reenforces that if you ask/annoy enough someone will give. Yet if I give money more then likely the person is going to use it to get something they don’t need and not spend it on what they do. I know this is a broad generalization but it is what I have observed from my POV.

So I’m just killing sometime enjoying my coffee doing some admin work on the site and there is one homeless person walking around asking for change. Now I do feel bad for people in the situation since all of us could face that problem if things go wrong. I feel that the systems that are in place do little to help and that the people that need it aren’t getting the help they need and there are people that abuse it. I would at this time like to thank Ronald Reagan for helping to place us in the sate that we are by closing down the mental health facilities back in the early 80′s. This act alone has drained our welfare and aide systems to the point that there is little to no money to help.

Back to what I observed I find it amusing when somebody else comes in and starts spouting off that all the people sitting here and walking by not giving money to the person asking for change are cannibals and serpents. As I observed this pillar of society he didn’t reach in to his pocket to give of himself. Then as people start looking at him because he’s spouting off that the white,asians and mexicans are cannibals he start getting aggressive and is looking to pick fights with anyone looking to see what the ruckus is. If your going to preach it practice it.

I’m disgusted with how we treat people in this country and I will be the first to admit I’m also part of the problem since I don’t go out of my way to help out. I’m of the mentality I work hard for my money and I will choose to give it to who I want, with the exception of the IRS. And to the folks that do help and work in the shelters, or clinics to provide the support for folks in need more power to you for a thankless job that you do.