Begging Discussion Do you give money to beggars? Explain why, or why not, to a partner. Reading Read through the comments below on an internet discussion site and decide which opinion is closest to your own. What's your opinion of beggars? be heard Edilson Gomes Teixeira, Brazil In my city, S20 Paulo, we have lots of children who ask for money on the streets. Of course, | feel terrible for them, but | think that giving them money does them no good. Usually they are really begging for an adult - even their ‘mother or father — just so that they can buy drugs or something like that. don’t know ... it's complicated. ‘Ana Martin Fong Schmidt, USA I come from San Francisco, California, where you can't walk two blocks any more without running into a homeless person asking you for money. They're filthy people who sleep and urinate in my doorway. | used to give money, but not any more. | suppose I've become sort of numb to it all. | mean, what is my 50 cents going to do to help someone? It's the Government's problem, not mine. i Atsuko Fujimori, Japan We have a place in my city, Tokya, called “Shinjuko Station.” { think this place is an embarrassment to Japanese society. There are hundreds of homeless people living in cardboard boxes, The Government doesn't care about them and neither do many people in Japan. But | do. | take them food and clothes and sometimes give money. Many of my friends think | am crazy. | think I'm normal and they are crazy. I cannot sleep well at night if | know there is, someone else who has no place to sleep. James Foster, UK ''m fed up with beggars and fed up with do-gooders who want to help them, | don't give money and nobody should. It only encourages them to beg even more. And these people sll seem to have dogs and smoke. Why should I give my hard-earned cash to feed their pets and smoking habit? People living on the streets are there because they want to be! Discussion Read through the comments again and answer these questions: 1, Who says that living on the streets and begging is bas 2, Who blames begging on drugs? 3. Who says that the problem is one that cannot be solved by individuals? 4, Who feels ashamed of tl ally a choice? 33° Begging Taboos and Issues mom Tor rom mr ee re ee Te em mr om om monroe moro om mm om om momYw- ARM Ud Poem Read this poem about being homeless, then discuss the questions below: Homeless, but not speechless lam homeless Penniless So | ask for your pennies Countless Are the times when | feel Pointless Useless Powerless to do anything to/forfabout/with these heartless see-me-nots who are clueless to my faceless existence One penny Your charity is shameless My life ... worthless, My journey ... reckless Don't worry: My passing will be painless. Discussion 1. What does the title mean? 2. What does the writer mean by Your charity is shameless? Explain the last line: My passing will be painless 4. What is done in your country to help homeless people? 5. Why are so many people homeless? Taboos and Issues Language Write in a -less word from the poem with the definitions below: 1. No money =. 2. Ignorant 3. Many : 4. Unable to protect/defend yourself = 5.No care or feeling for others =. . 6. Anonymous, unknown 7. Without purpose 8. Without value=. 2... 2.2. 9, It won't hurt Discussion Would you give money or help in these situations? 1.A woman knocks at your door collecting money for homeless people. She has an official ID badge. How much would you give her? 2. A litle boy offers to clean your shoes in the street for 20 pence. 3.A woman holding a baby asks you for money on the street. She is crying. 4.A rather dirty-looking person asks to ‘borrow" $0 pence for the bus. 5. You meet someone on holiday in a Third ‘World country and after chatting, you realise that with just a couple of your traveller's cheques, you could pay for their child to go to university and have the chance of a completely different life. 6. You're in a restaurant and a woman comes in with flowers and asks if you want to buy one for your boyfriend / gielfriend 7. You're at some traffic lights and someone washes your windscreen, then asks for some money. 8. You receive a pack of Christmas cards through the post from a charity for the blind. There is no obligation to pay for the cards ~ you can keep them for free ~ bur you are invited t0 send a donation, Discussion Write your own view on beggars in the same style as the internet comments you read earlier. Pass your comment to another classmate. Then: 1, Read and sce if you agree or disagree with che comment that has been passed to you. 2. Discuss it with another classmate (not the writer of the comment]. 3. Discuss the comments as a class. Begging 33