Comparative Reality

In a recent post, Rekiwi admitted that he communes with devils, he burns plastic bags, he votes Republican out of spite, and he has a large, gold-framed portrait of Dick Cheney (on velvet, of course) hanging over his bed. At least, according to some dude in a Home Depot parking lot.

But, honestly, how can we assume that said dude is not an objective observer of the truth? Obviously, we must extend him the benefit of the doubt.

...

Now, in a similar situation, I, a paragon of kindness, honesty, selflessness, and enough other admirable traits that would make any Boy Scout chew off his badges in envy, yes, I, a king among men, and yet a man among kings, I, standing tall...actually, I'd behave in exactly the same way.

Look, spend a few years living in Berkeley as a poor college student, and you'll learn that it's much easier to avoid eye contact, possibly mumble something in the negative, and keep walking (or loading your car, as the case may be). I happen to know that Rekiwi hasn't spent years a poor college student in Berkeley, but I'm sure the lessons could be learned in any college town. Or, hell, just growing up in any decent-sized city.

Do you give money to every person asking for change on the street? Only the ones with good stories? Only the threatening ones? Maybe Mr. Fresh Green Buds, because he can repeat those three words all day, every day, when it's perfectly obvious that he has long since forgotten what they mean?

Because I don't. I also don't give money to people who approach me in gas stations, telling me that they just need a few bucks to buy gas to get to work.

But why not? If they're being honest, then I'm just being a dick. I'm certainly not rich, but I could spare a buck here and there. And what if they're lying? What if they are going to take the money and spend it on horrible, cheap booze? It's hardly fair for me to sneer at someone who, if they're unemployed and homeless, doesn't enjoy being unemployed and homeless.

I could write a few more paragraphs describing my feelings of ambivalence about all of this, but I doubt it would be very interesting. Basically: I'm all for social safety nets. I'm happy to pay taxes to make sure that, say, senior citizens aren't dumpster diving for their food. But I think that needs to work on a societal level. (Which might just be my way of transferring immediate guilt into a "hidden" tax, but there you go.)

I do wonder, though, what the guy was thinking: Did he just want to be insulting? Or did he think that by saying that No Free Money = Bad Person, Rekiwi, gravely stung, would whip out his wallet and shower the guy with money?