The Affluent Beggar Responds

Tonight, as I normally do at least once a day is to check my user stats and check for any comments to respond to. I was surprised to find that Jason Pancoast who was one of the subjects of my post on the problems that "affluent" beggars cause in ordinary communities like mine actually commented back to me. This is amazing to me, because as a beginning blogger I did not anticipate hearing from the subject of my post. Obviously the attention that he is getting for his panhandling has struck a nerve with him, as his comments here suggest:

pLEASE HOW DARE YOU suggest that my family and I are criminals. We commandeer resources from the public at large by conveying a coherent comprehensive message concerning our plight. We in no way break any LAW.You owe an apology to my beloved and our children.Honor be thy butter.

I am not sure if he has tried to contact any other members of the print and news media, but as a blogger who is sitting up at home with a ceiling that I have to fix, and a burned out light in my bathroom, I would like to offer some clarification and encouragement to Jason and his family.

The intent of my post was to just let you know Jason that I was not trying to pass judgment on what you are doing. I just want to make you aware that the average working person who is mindful of the struggles that they face in keeping their job and providing food, clothing, and shelter for his family may not react well to you. One of of the comments that was on my post called you a criminal and a thief for taking advantage of people daily who do not really know what your situation. I am merely concerned that your children are growing up in a situation that is unstable. Children, no matter how spoiled rotten they are, tend to function and develop a little better when they know that their emotional and physical needs are being taken care of. When they get older, you will have to explain to them that they had to live on the streets because Mommy and Daddy could not sustain a working class income no matter how hard they tried. But, how will they know how to handle adversity if you don't teach them or if you are not able to find someone to teach them?

Jason, I just want you and your family to go get the help that you need so that your children can grow up in a happy, healthy, and stable environment. They deserve it. And most importantly, the divine power of God can help you deal with the hurt and pain in your life if you trust that he can help.

For all of you that are reading this post what would you suggest that they to to help themselves? Don't think that you could never be in this position. The ups and downs of life could put you in a situation even worse than this. If you were in this situation, how would you respond?

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