"Spare change?" How many times a day do those words catch your ear as you walk to class, eat lunch or even buy your new stick of deodorant? Madison's homeless have turned us all into one of Pavlov's dogs. The jingle of change in a plastic cup sparks a guilt trip almost immediately.
Unfortunately for all, that is exactly what Madison's homeless are aiming for. Being homeless is not a light issue, however. Many people fall into a homeless life for an array of reasons, many of whom have no desire to continue to live that life. Notice how I use the word "many" though.
We have a unique homeless population in Madison. The same homeless are in the same places every day all day. In essence, we have a "professional homeless" population. Attempting to gain job skills seems to have been reduced to fighting over the legal peddling spots on State Street. Chances are that on your walk to class today you may have walked past one of the homeless "regulars."
In the three years I have lived here, the same homeless have been in the same spots, hoping to get a buck the easy way — standing there with an outstretched hand, trying to look desperate.
The sad thing is I always question whether or not these people are truly homeless, have really hit rock bottom or are just lazy. For example, two weeks ago, I was walking by one of the homeless stakeouts near the Subway on State Street when a gentleman wearing an array of gold rings, a gold watch and some stylish sunglasses was charging his cell phone while looking me in the eye and asking if I could help the homeless. I laughed at him.
How gullible have we become as a society to believe that these people have no other option other than to stand and beg all day? The same homeless are out on the street every day because they know we are suckers for a guilt trip. Every time you drop that quarter into one of their cups, their incentive rises to keep standing. Because we give into Madison's homeless, they will continue to beg, annoy and accost.
What many homeless seem to not comprehend is that there are other options to panhandling all day. Begging for change will never get them out of being homeless. Instead of waiting on a corner for the next person to drop some change in a cup, they should try to gain some sort of job skills any way possible.
Porchlight Inc. offers Madison's homeless an opportunity to obtain employment services, counseling and many other opportunities to get a leg up and hopefully contribute to society rather than to drain it. It's a matter of actually taking advantage of the opportunities that are offered. Many have become comfortable doing nothing but begging because they know the people of Madison will fill those cups. They have no incentive to change. Essentially, it's our own fault.
While many may argue the homeless programs are underfunded and space is at a minimum, there are reasons why Madison's homeless are in fact homeless. Poor decision-making and a history of drug and alcohol addiction often lead to one's homelessness, in addition to other reasons. But when does it become the duty of society to shoulder the mistakes the homeless have made?
Change can happen. It is a matter of the homeless population becoming frustrated that its old ways of surviving on the backs of hardworking people will no longer work. A need to find steady work for survival must become its primary goal. So, next time you think about dropping that spare change into the cup of a homeless person, consider whether you are actually doing him or her, or society, any good.
Ben Patterson ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science.