LAL Live: Panhandlers and the Ethics of Charity (NPS June 22)

Norm takes a detour to crowdsource input from listeners on a topic that has been in the back of his mind for a long time: panhandling.  He begins with a story of Troy and how Troy burned his trust.  There appears to be an increasing rise in the homeless population, at least in the New Haven area. Norm explores his feelings of guilt, his aversion to eye contact, the complex feeling of obligation paralleled by a resentment for those who won't pick up their own beds and walk.  What are we to do as citizens? What are our obligations to the homeless who beg that we assist them as we pass? Housing activists claim that housing in a human right and that we are obligated to provide housing for every citizen. Norm understands the sentiment, but queries why we must be accountable for others' poor decisions or circumstances? It is a complicated question.  Instead of going at the topic alone, Norm solicits callers' opinions to get a better sense of how others approach the topic of the homeless, the mentally ill, the panhandlers.  Like, share, and subscribe! Norm is live every weekday from 12pm ET to 2pm ET on WICC 600AM/107.3FM. Stream Norm live at https://www.wicc600.com/. Follow @PattisPodcast on Twitter.