Compassion

I do feel like I have compassion for people. However, the older I get...the more people do take advantage of it. Not just me, but people in general. More often compassion is a good thing. We feel that we can help our fellow man, we do. It makes us feel better. In L.A. it's sorta' different. I've noticed. I've extended my "help" to others to be rebutted by just...awful altercations. Mostly of me just handing change to someone. I'm not in it for conversation, just...I'm glad I could do something for someone. Now some people may tell me that it's mental illness that makes them behave that way. Now we're just giving them a reason to be shitty. Maybe it is, maybe it's not...what I do know is it's up to me to be the more civilized person, against my intuition to watch for danger. Yes, I am put out to have to defend my position as to whether or not a person with mental illness saddled with homelessness is to be my issue. Say that aloud and you tell me if society hasn't done a flip.

I don't mind giving change to beggars. It's not a big deal. But I do hate the underlying message. That given the reverse, pretty sure I'd be spat on by that same person. I think we've been conditioned to think we are decent people. Yet, in some other situation you wouldn't piss on a person if they were on fire. Where's the compassion there?

You know the one person who does disgust me the most, is the person who says "just pray and hope your life and your luck never gets to that point." That's where you actually went wrong. If you believe hope & luck have anything to do with being off the streets, THAT is the real problem. And it's also an insult. Think about what this idiot is saying. If you have bad luck, you're too dumb, lazy and stupid to realize the burden you put on society and therefore you would be like this guy. If you believe in luck, you have bigger problems in life. That perspective does hobble you in that your vision of luck is the only way you move forward.

Incidentally, there is no compassion to me handing money to a beggar. I would think it meant you would do everything in your power to get this person back to functional. Let them use your shower, toothbrush, deodorant, clothes, eat your food.

So, I wish you well in your hobo orphanage.