The Begging Game
Panhandling in the U.S. has become a serious problem. It's not only become a game to those who are starving, without shelter, and have no choice in the matter, but to those who choose to panhandle. These people may even have a family, and a decent home, but they may have little or no money. This was the case for Dana, the teenage girl who said that her mother was sick and that they lived in a not so nice apartment in Chinatown, but it turned out she lived in a rather nice, middle-class apartment building. Once these kinds of people realize it's an easy way to make money (if you have the right story), and you don't have to work too hard, they continue to do it. Panhandling may be considered deviant in our culture, because most panhandlers lie about their situations, and then use the money to go out and buy drugs and/or alcohol. It's as if they are almost stealing people's money, and sometimes they may get into people's faces and almost force people to give them money. However, there are others that never do
I don't think that the police have the right to prosecute to the homeless that lie to receive money. Those that give out the money should know that the panhandlers are lying, and if they don't than that's their own fault. However, some fake stories are more serious than others. For example, Larry says that he's a Vietnam veteran, but in reality he's a Korean War veteran. This isn't a lie that is seriously dishonest, because he did fight in a war, but not too many would feel as sorry for him. What Dana was doing was very dishonest; because she was saying her mother was on dialysis, but there was never any records of her ever having a medical problem. They also weren't living on the streets; I think it would've been very possible for her, and especially her mother to find money another way. this. For example, Theresa just allowed people to drop money into her box, but she was still dishonest. She hardly ever used the money to help herself; instead she gave it to her friend Shirley to buy drugs and alcohol with. The money the homele
Some common words found in the essay are:
, Korean War, buy drugs, people money, buy drugs alcohol, country try, drugs alcohol money, living streets, lie situations, alcohol money, lived nice, drugs alcohol, homeless receive, considered deviant,
Approximate Word count = 705
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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