Charity? Or Vice? December 11, 2007
Posted by Conrad Hubbard in : The Chip , trackbackIs this an act of charity or vice? Tonight I walked into a local store, and a homeless guy outside asked me for some money. I didn’t have any change on me, so I said so and went inside. Inside, I purchased a 22 ounce Icehouse beer, and when I left the store, I gave it to the homeless guy outside. He seemed thankful. But… Is that charity? Or is that vice?
The way I figure it, I was giving him the same thing I try to find when I am drinking beer: one night with less edge to the pain of the world. I suspect some people would see the act as one of supporting a bad habit, though. And there we are… charity or vice?
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You probably made his fucking day.
Whether it’s charity or vice depends on your intentions, I’d say. If you give a homeless guy a belt because his pants are falling off him, and he later uses it to strangle someone… well, you meant well.
And in this case, I infer that your intentions were definitely good.
Now, taking that a step further one could argue that giving a homeless guy some crack is charitable by that definition. So looking at it from a strict “beneficial vs. detrimental” viewpoint, I’d still say it’s on the “beneficial” side.
Most people probably don’t even give him the time of day, you gave him a whole beer.