Encountering some interesting activism on the way to lunch

As I waited for a friend today near Franklin, I couldn't help but notice this sign near the dining common. I decided to take a picture with my phone so I would have an image to go with this post and so everyone can see it.

The post is pretty much against the new panhandling law in Northampton that is designed against people begging for money. The group "Food, Not Bombs" uses a deceptive picture of an African American getting arrested in order to make the case that the new law turns a blind eye to poverty.

Well, there are problems with the new law, but it doesn't involve arresting homeless people as the organization would like you to believe.

The problem is that many of these people charged won't have a way of paying the escalating fine from $50 that comes with breaking the law. And it will be hard to go after the people who this law is trying to stop, since, if they're on the street, they're probably homeless.

I want to stop poverty as much as the next person, in fact, I have volunteered at homeless shelters. I understand that most people who beg for money actually need it, but panhandling can cause a lot of problems, none of which this organization refers to, instead choosing to play the sympathy card.

I grew up in a wealthy suburb around 45 minutes outside downtown Chicago so I'm not going to pretend that I know what these people are going through. What I do know, is that panhandling is a big problem in Chicago, and I'm glad that Northampton is doing something about it, before it becomes a problem.

The thing I always find interesting is when there is someone begging for money to buy food and smoking cigarettes at the same time. With the price of cigarettes in Chicago, why wouldn't they just use that money on food if they are that poor? Besides, it can get very annoying really quickly to listen to panhandlers on every block ask for money.

Another issue I have with them is that you have no idea where that money is going. It could be for drugs, sex, who knows? It can also get dangerous at times as I'll read or hear from the Chicago media at any point during the week that some panhandlers can get very forceful, resorting to some sort of assault if they don't get their way.

Imagine how the community would react if a Smith student was either raped or killed randomly in a city that prides itself on diversity yet is aristocratic in many ways. Students from there, or UMass can walk pretty much anywhere without feeling threatened.

Ask a student from a place like Duke, Maryland, Temple or Syracuse and they probably could understand this issue from Northampton's point of view. The town isn't trying to turn a blind-eye to poverty, Northampton is simply making sure that Smith students can enjoy themselves without having to watch their back.