Problems arise when the accepted view is challenged.
Witness the righteous indignation when homeless people were offered $20 a day to be mobile wireless hotspots.
People went nuts about the exploitation of the homeless. It reaffirms my belief that no one has any perspective in the country.
I think it is pretty simple, they have a choice. They could say no...
First of all it was just a silly marketing plan. A gimmick. So, yes in that way it was condescending. There could have been a joke that they were paying homeless people to be hotspots.
On the other hand, why not?
$20 a day plus tips is not a lot of money but who knows if the plan would work and there are a significant number of homeless who may not make good wireless hotspots for various reasons.
If I were out of work I'd do it. In fact if someone would pay me $20 to carry around a wireless hotspot thingy in town I would consider it. Hey, it is $20.
I suspect that the opposition to the plan is perhaps more offensive. Is it opposition to the idea that there are homeless people who don't want to be victims. Homeless people getting into our comfort zone? People blurring the "caste" differences?
The homeless person has no job and no housing and so any little bit helps. I personally would not use the service because homeless folks on the streets of a big city make me nervous. I don't know how to talk to them and I can't tell who is harmless and who has a knife. I may very well be completely in the wrong but at least I will be honest about it.
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I found the opposition to be interesting on this particular subject. I think the plan was spot on. Granted the slogan on the tee shirt could of been worded differently. But in the real world, there's a bigger picture than the opposition seems to be able to view. SXSW is a big money conference. Would it have been more acceptable for the homeless to stand outside and beg for change? Or does it make more sense for them to sell a service and get paid for it? I have yet to read where any of the folks that attended SXSW took up a collection and helped them out. It was a brilliant plan in terms of human exchange. In Columbus, the homeless sell newspapers for a dollar. I never take the paper because there is just nothing interesting to read in its contents. But the money goes directly to the seller. I would rather have that type of exchange than one that pisses me off. I do not like strangers asking me for money period. Especially when they are males. I have a thing about my personal space and quite frankly, there are a lot of people asking.
ReplyDeleteI think that the people who are so outraged by this campaign should come up with a way for the homeless to earn income daily. This would force them to talk to the people that they are fiercely protecting and get a clue about reality. I suspect that the people who sold 4G service were happy as heck to have the money.
There may be some discussion on the pay scale.
DeleteI just naturally suspect the motivation of the whole concept.
But, does it not make us think about the homeless in a different light?
Many homeless are people who do not fit into society. I understand the homeless person's news paper is getting better. I think a plan to let them better themselves on their own terms should be applauded.
On the other hand I don't like the squatter camps that pop up from time to time in local cities.
I think the local homeless man should pick up the crap he leaves laying around, I don't object to him staking out a corner but I think he should have some pride in it...
guess i was just brought up wrong.
ReplyDeletei was taught that
money earned was to know respect
money taken from charity was to know pity
money taken from welfare was to know contempt
Budde, I think you are on the right track about the "comfort zone"
ReplyDeleteThe Plan gave the homeless a way to ask for tips without begging and all the while performing a service and earning something. And, when you get right down to it, how is this different than paying a waitress minimum wage or less, and having her work for tips?
I concur with the Griper.