Madam – Have you noticed how many beggars and vagrants walk the streets of Newcastle?
It is heartbreaking to see the condition some of them are in, but people will still chase them when they ask for some money.
The common answer my father used to give me when I would question his actions was that they used it to buy alcohol.
As this was a good answer for him, I started questioning it later in my life when I became more involved in giving back.
As a Muslim, alcohol is against our religion, and a very big no-no, so alcoholic beggars won’t get a cent from our family.
But look deeper into religion, as a matter of fact, any type of religion. Are we not taught to love thy neighbour, to do good unto others and to make a difference in our community?
Think about this: when you give a beggar money, whether he buys alcohol or food, is he not feeding himself?
Did you not do a good deed for a person in need?
That man will go to sleep with contentment in his heart, whether he is full, high or drunk.
It might be a twisted way of thinking, but I believe it is still a good deed for the day.
Wouldn’t you want people to help you if you were in a situation to have nothing left?
I have a soft heart and it breaks seeing these people day after day. But with a little bit of love, a soft smile and a ‘God bless you’ when I hand them a coin, I feel happy in my heart for making a difference in that person’s life, even if it is just for a bottle of beer.
Care Bear
