Beggars – A cry for help or A threat to society?
Author : teriann
A beggar's plea for help or a threat to the driver? copyright The Gleaner 2011
We have all seen them at one point or another as they stand at the bus stops and at the traffic lights. As they stand with their hands outstretched, they utter their plea, “Leave someting with me nuh”.
It seems to me that their ranks have increased in recent years as the economic situation has worsened. Many Jamaicans are living on the brink, as they are earning just enough to survive. Of course, that is if they are fortunate enough to have jobs.
There is also a dark side to those who beg, especially if their pleas are rebuffed. Frustration mixed with anger is a deadly combination and can lead to violence.
Then there are the professional beggars who earn more money collecting from others than those of us who struggle to work for a living.
So in the final analysis are beggars a threat or just a sign of our times? Let me hear from you!
Teri Ann Renee Paisley (Gleaner on-line writer)
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11 Responses to “Beggars – A cry for help or A threat to society?”
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When one considers the other threats facing Jamaica, like our sky-high murder rate, beggar, even agressive ones, are not a great threat. Besides Jamaica have become a country of beggars, whether they are employed or not. Ask anyone Jamaica living abroad who returns on vacation, everyone you vaguely know or who thinks they know you, is begging for something.
‘A country of beggars’ Little Q that sounds so sad doesn’t it? Eventually, the begging must stop or everyone will see us coming and run!
What is the jamaican national tree ?
The outstretched plam
Begging is now a fast growing industry in Jamaica. It’s very hard to tell the difference between those who are genuinely in need and those who are just too lazy to work. The good will have to suffer for the bad sometimes.
Little Q all the way LIVE and DIRECT. Jamaica the LAND, ISLAND and COUNTRY of BEGGERS and FREE-LOADERS.
They are LIKE COCK-ROACHES (teenagers)cant get RID of THEM
I have never SEEN this in all my TRAVELING EXPERINCES. Every since the EARLY 90′s until now. Its very TROUBLE-SOME, and have REACHED the EPICDEMIC STAGES.
Its SEEMS like they CULTIVATE, HATCH, or MANUFACTURE,OR BREED these HUMAN SPECIES. Ufortunately we find them in every RELATED FAMILIES. Plus the so-called fRIENDS and SRANGERS.
This has BECOME a NORM, and PART of our MORALS in JA. Sadly but TRUE. THE NEW GAME NOW, IS. They are now TRAINING the CHILDREN to be BEGGERS. Because GENERALLY we have SOFT SPOTS so to speak for KIDS
We are not the ONLY ONE EXPERINCING this RIDICULING. Tourists, people living at home and abroad.
I never KNEW one day that I would EVER say THIS. But like so many others with the same EXPERIENCES, and FEELINGS like me. I have REGRETTED that I have came BACK an INVESTED in JA.
I worked too DAMM HARD for not to ENJOY my own COUNTRY. Right now LOTS of PEOPLE is LEAVING and want to LEAVE JAMAICA for the SAME REASONS.
And to put the ICING on the CAKE the VIOLENCE. With this and the above TOPIC its LIKE a MARRIAGE. But who would like a MARRIAGE of this KIND
MAY GOD HELP THE PEOPLE. Its not JAMAICA that NEEDS HELP
To me I would die for wants. before I would resort to begging. unless if I am going to beg some seeds or a young breadfruit plant or something to those effect!..
But to go on the street to beg money I would rather die for wants!.. I don’t have that iron clad balls to do it.
and I say good luck to those who can. I see no threat to it!.. its people right to stop and give or not to give!.. no matter how aggressive the beggars may be!…
cool r c get the hell out of Jamaica. some of you have stole, swindle, embezzle,defraud,misappropriate,to get wealth. i guess you rather they steal from you instead of beg. whats going to happen dutty c when all your money is gone and you left dying on the street side because you were to evil tyo give to a begging person. who is to say in 10 years you wont be begging also. be grateful and thankful you dont have to beg and be glad they are not robbing and killing to get. be happy for what you got you may not have stand on the roadside begging for it but you probably got yours in some illegal or shady ways. my heart goes out to who have to beg to feed themselves and i hope some day things will get better for them. oh what a day when the tables are turned
Dem beggy beggy just like the government of Jamaica. Jamaican government has being begging/borrowing and cannot pay back, just like the people dem.If u don’t give it to them,they have something smart to say, and want to curse you out too.
there r beggars all over the wrld, so wats the big deal about beggars in Jamaica. Aren’t you guys product of that Land,come on now. Talk about the Crime there.
COOLRCOOL.
I guest you are one of those roaches!.. you may be living under a cave . every where in the world you go you find beggars!.. some people use sophisticated means to beg , but its begging all the same!..
right where I am I saw people begging on the street as a job. some people make up to $40 thousand per year from begging!.. some people realize its a easy way to live!.. its not because they cant find jobs nor because they are uneducated!..
In Jamaica most people beg because they cant do better!. a few find it to be a easy way to make money!.
As I say give when you can . because you never know what might happen to you!.
I have not been to places outside of Western Europe, England, North America or some of the Caribbean Islands and Guyana. I must admit that Jamaica was the first place that I have seen vendors hustle you in such a manner; I have never seen that before. I really did not move around to meet the beggars, just hustling vendors. But I did meet someone who had a job and has been trying to extract whatever he can in a very sophisticated way. Always a sad story. So although he is not on the street, he is very clever in doing it in a sophisticated manner. I hate a man who expects a woman to be giving him money. This is the part of my Jamaican experience that I do not like.