ù Quoting Tom Rightmer from a message to Ryan Bagueros  ù 
TR> equation? This is why I will not hand money to a panhandler. I've 
TR> taken many to buy food, and it didn't take long with some of them to 
TR> find out that is not whatthey had in mind. I would have to be honest 
TR> and say that I have a lot more respect for those who ask for work 
TR> before they ask for the handout. Do you have a term worse than 
TR> "classist" for someone with this opinion? It's probably a little late 
So, am I thinking that you think it is okay to be "classist"? Do you think it 
is okay to be racist? Most people expressing classist viewpoints also have 
some
good racist ones, too, since poverty is racist in this country. One goes 
along 
with the other.
The point is that in a capitalist society, which the U$A is, there 
necessarily 
_must_ be an underclass, a poor class, an unemployed class, a low-wage 
earning 
class, all the way up to whatever you are, and all the way up to whatever 
bill 
gates is. Its like a lottery: there isn't enough of everything because the 
rich
horde it all, so someone has to end up being the bum. You should be thanking 
your lucky stars it wasn't you. Unless you are still convinced that 
everything 
you got in life is 100% earned, and that privilege or status or your parent's 
money didn't help you get what you have. 
You are being patronizing because you want to give away your money, but only 
when you can dictate what it will be spent on. Why not just give them some 
money and forget about it? Why even find out what they spend it on? If you 
lived in the freezing cold winter and slept on the sidewalk, wouldn't you 
want 
to get drunk now and then?
TR> echo is in any position to patronizeanyone else. That term usually 
TR> refers to a person using someone for some sort of gain. I don't know 
No, patronizing means condescending. You think you can make decisions for 
other
people and tell them what is a good and bad thing to do. Buy a hamburger, 
good.
Buy a beer, bad. When, it seems, if you haven't ever been homeless or 
exceedingly poor, how the hell would you know?
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