One of the things that struck me as I toured Memphis, Tenn. last year was how many people were homeless.
One other thing also struck me. It seems that in order for a homeless person to get a bed for the night they must come up with about 7 dollars. The effect of this is predictable. All the panhandlers for miles ask not for change, but for 7 dollars.
The local political response seems to have been to post signs asking citizens not to give money to pan-handlers. This would be the 7 dollars they need for a bed thanks to their earlier policies.
We have the mouse eating the cheese and the cat eating the mouse.
The next step is easy to predict. Police will begin dogging tourists that respond to pleas for money.
This will not likely be a boon to tourism. Perhaps this will even create even more homelessness?
In Florida people have been arrested for feeding the homeless. Perhaps they have already taken steps one and two and are now moving to criminalize compassion:
Details here
There are always so many obstacles to behaving well in this world of ours that I don't enjoy stories like this.
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