The Homeless, the Hobos, and the Bums

8 February, 2019

The first is a class of people who, despite efforts to do right and live responsibly, have suffered the fate of deprivation and stand in need of shelter. They suffer the from of whims of Fate, or the will of God.

The second is that class of people which happily chooses tolive the carefree life and bear the consequences of that chosen life, liberatedfrom the burden of responsibility that accompanies productivity and commitmentto community with its attendant reciprocal duties and responsibilities.  They choose to live an easy life free from toomuch labor and too much money.

The third is that group which delights in self-indulgence, sloth, and indigence.  Not independent, the bum calls upon the beneficence of fools and suckers who dole out obligingly their goods to rid themselves of the bum’s importunities and, perhaps, their own guilt – however misapprehended.   He chooses to indulge himself in sloth and refuses to abide by the consequences.  He indulges himself in shameless petitioning of those who presumably have something more than he purports to possess. 

Whom shall we, the people, help?  Who ought to receive the benefits of thepeople’s beneficence (or may we say that which is taken from the people by thegovernment and dispersed by some foggy principle of mercy)?  Let us certainly discriminate between thethird group and the other two.   Justicerequires that the third class of humanity (or do-gooders on their behalf ofsaid class)  not be permitted to abusethe rest of the citizenry. There is no obligation on the part of the tax payingcitizens to pay out beneficence to that class. Indeed, there is a duty on the part of those in power to refrain fromrewarding such dereliction and abuse of the commonweal by such malefactors.

Let then matters of altruism, beneficence, humanitarianism,and Christian charity be freely carried out by citizens according to thedictates of their own consciences and religious principles.   Let the citizenry be unburdened by misguidedtaxation so that the people may freely extend their kind intentions accordingto their own good judgment.   Some citizens may like to bless hobos in the same way that afool offers free food to a glutton.  Suchchoices may be freely made as we allow fools to do what they wish with theirmoney, even if they wish to flush it down the toilet.

Most citizens, given the choice, would elect theirbeneficence to go to someone who has suffered a tragedy, especially one outsideof his control. 

How about the feds give the people their money back and letthem make those choices for themselves? (Imagine that!)   Thus may weenjoy reduced taxes, help our homeless, select our own hobos – or not.   And thus, may we cease supporting thebums.