Saturday, November 29, 2014

BEGGARS AND THE PEOPLE THEY BUG

Ever since my childhood days as a poor kid on Walnut Street in downtown York, I’ve wondered why Americans detest the poor as much as they do. Do folks fear that an empty wallet is somehow contagious like Ebola, or do the poor remind people of broader failures in our society that many prefer remain hidden in the shadows? Do people believe that those living in poverty deserve their plight, or are the poor like unwanted crabgrass, attempting to gain a foothold on a well-manicured suburban lawn?

I pose these questions because of a recent newspaper story about a man named Terry Anderson, a Manchester, Maryland man who’s been begging for money for the past three month on a median strip in West Manheim Township near Hanover, Pennsylvania. Anderson’s activities have raised the ire of several area residents who want to eliminate his begging in their community. He’s become an eyesore that critics wish would simply disappear. I’m interested in examining why.

Anderson’s most outspoken critic, Jason Mangus of West Manheim Township, reportedly thinks that Anderson is taking advantage of the kindness of strangers because of a well-maintained vehicle that Anderson drives. By doing so, Mangus judges Anderson’s book by its cover. I don’t know whether Mangus’ assessment is accurate or not, but I do remember back in 1967, when my dad bought a new car after years of saving for a down payment. He spent less on car payments during the years that followed than he did on repairs to the clunkers he previously owned. With little income and seven mouths to feed, our family was still poor, but at least our car was dependable and that freed up extra cash for other amenities. A person just viewing my father and his new car might have assumed he was wealthy. Nothing was further from the truth. My dad was economical and he stretched every dime to its limit, but we were still poor.

Magnus suggested to a reporter that Anderson should leave the median strip and get a minimum wage job at Wal-Mart or Sheetz instead. It’s a suggestion with great surface appeal, until you recognize that employers won’t hire people like Anderson who’ve got home problems that would interfere with a normal work schedule. Plus, it sounds like Anderson makes more money begging on the median than he would by working a minimum wage job. That’s not an indictment on Anderson. That’s an indictment on Americans who refuse to demand that every living person who wants to work should be paid a living wage for the fruits of their labor. Why we accept economic slavery in this day and age is beyond me, but that’s an issue best left for another column.

Anderson’s critics have publicly urged local lawmakers to take action to ban Anderson’s begging, and from what’s been reported in this paper, local officials are discussing that possibility. What I find telling, however, is the fact that you can turn on the TV on any given Sunday morning and see a plethora of religious hucksters taking full advantage of the kindness of strangers, but you won’t hear Anderson’s critics clamoring for the removal of televangelists from the public airways. Apparently, taking advantage of the kindness of strangers by high-living, chauffeured preachers is acceptable in these parts, while beggars seeking handouts are not. I could quote scripture to point out that hypocrisy, but I doubt it would do any good. Adherence to the social gospel requires a kind heart.

Animosity toward the poor is nothing new, but the degree of loathing for America’s less fortunate has never been stronger or more vocal than it is today. When former presidential candidate Mitt Romney was secretly caught saying he didn’t care about the 47% of Americans that he thought were feeding at the public trough, he was simply expressing the same lack of empathy that many in this nation mirror on a daily basis. Welfare is a dirty word. Poverty equaling laziness is an acceptable rant. In fact, those concepts have become so ingrained in the fabric of our society that during the most recent recession, when millions of people lost jobs through no fault of their own and had to apply for government assistance so their families could survive, many of those people expressed shame over having to do so. Shame can be a useful thing, but not when it’s unwarranted. That takes me back to the beggar on the median.

Terry Anderson buries his pride on a daily basis when he begs on the median strip. He admits to his inability to secure traditional employment and exposes his personal shortcomings for the entire Hanover community to see. By doing so, he also demonstrates an unwavering desire to provide for his family, no matter how much humiliation he endures in the process. That’s the kind of selfless caring and gritty determination that we should be applauding, not deriding. A poor man seeking a better life for him and his family is a good thing. If he has to hold his hand out to do so, that’s a good thing, too!