NIT – A poll of NIT readers shows that most people would ignore a homeless person who needs help.
NIT readers were asked recently the question “If you encountered a homeless person here in North Iowa, what would you do?” Each visitor was allowed only one vote in the poll.
Most voters – 43 – said they would ignore the person and mind their own business; a common technique to make sure the homeless get the point that you refuse to get involved in their struggles. Many people have learned that the homeless are not always what they appear to be; the person could be a scam artist, or even law enforcement performing a sting operation.
About half that number – 22 – said they would, however, stop and ask if they could help. We saw a North Iowa woman recently do just that in Mason City. The elderly lady attempted to lecture a supposed homeless man, and direct him away from his perch near Kmart and Pizza Hut on 4th SW, but as soon as she drove away, the man picked up where he left off on his panhandling.
A small number – 9- said they would toss change in that person’s direction. Sometimes that works if you are frightened of the homeless and need a brief distraction to escape the encounter. There’s nothing like a few coins rolling in opposite directions on the pavement to send a bum scampering while you prance away as if society’s problems are not your own.
A larger number of folks – 13 – responded to the poll question by answering that they would “Callously yell ‘Get a job!'” at the needy individual. This is a common response from the tired, working proletariate who scrimp by on the near-homeless wages paid by many Mason City employers. In justifying the nasty response to the down-and-out, they may think “I work ten hour days for $7.50 an hour to make ends meet, and this bum has given up and wants free cash. Ain’t gonna happen today.”
Surprisingly, the smallest response – 2 – said they would show the bum religion. Maybe people have turned away from God as their own situations seem more hopeless and feel this option would be equally fruitless for the cold, hungry, roofless vagrant.
