SOCIAL REALISM

Do you give money to beggars?

In Norway there is now an intense debate about foreign beggars are victims of trafficking or/and are members of the criminal gangs behind the large theft, or just very poor people staying on the streets here for 90 days. Yesterday came proposals to ban begging for those who don't live in Norway as a measure against human trafficking. A human rights advocate and the police ask people to stop giving them money. The police want to find other ways to help them.

People alarmed the police about this foreign beggar. They (and the policemen) thought that she was a child, but her identity card shows that she is actually 33. The police told me that she has gray hair and almost no body. She doesn't speak Norwegian or English, but she had a piece of paper in Norwegian saying that she needs money for an operation. Sorry that I didn't understood what her name is, it was too difficult for me to pronunance.

David, however, is a Norwegian junkie. On his piece of paper he asks for money to avoid committing crimes to get drugs. His life as a beggar has become tougher after he has to share the street with the beggars from Romania.

Most people don't give money to beggars. Those who give prefere to give to the Norwegian begging junkies. Anyhow it's so many dilemmas associated with giving, no giving and to discriminate the foreign beggars.

Do I give money to beggers? No, but I buy the non-profiit street magazine =OSLO. I'm always happy to see a beggar stop begging, and start selling the magazine instead.