To: Cogito Ergo Sum who wrote (7639 ) 1/16/2006 6:01:26 PM From: seventh_son Read Replies (1) | Respond to Well, I have travelled quite a bit in Europe, and my brother was there over Christmas as well and we noted some contrasts to Canada. Both of us found that most of the beggars in Europe are gypsies and their numbers are much smaller than what you encounter in Toronto, Vancouver or Victoria. Often I have been in metro Toronto and felt like I was trapped in the third world, and have been ashamed by the kind of begging that we used to deride New Yorkers about but now are overwhelmed with ourselves. Really, something has to be done to at least deter able-bodied people from living on the streets. While it's true that many on the streets are hopeless drug addicts or those with mental problems, there is a pretty large number that are young people who have simply chosen begging as a career option. I don't think that more money for shelters or more food banks are part of the solution -- we need some sort of broader plan.
