You have probably heard this story already – but telling you again will eat up a couple of column inches and help to fill my allotted space.
In some far-flung South American country an election was looming and canvassers were out in full force. The socialist candidate was doing his rounds and preaching how his party was going to take the wealth from the rich and divide it equally among all the citizens.
‘This is how it works’, he was explaining to a poor man who owned just a few acres. ‘If you had two houses, then you would give one to a comrade who has no house?’ ‘Si, Signor’, answered the voter. ‘And if you had two cars, and you neighbour had no car, you would willingly give up one of your cars for your fellow-citizen?’ ‘Si …Si … Signor’ said the man; warming to the questions and possibly seeing a benefit for himself down the road with a change of regime. ‘And if you had two cows, and a man in the next village had no cow, you would have no objection to the state taking one of you cows for the family with no cow?’ At this, the interviewee’s face fell … ‘Oh hold it there, Signor … you see … I have two cows!
This story tells us a lot about human nature when it comes to sharing the national cake. We all agree that the rich should pay more to help the poor; but how much are the rest of us really willing to pay so that those with less can have more? Theory is fine and dandy, but when it comes down to digging deep, a sizeable proportion of the population are like that man with the two cows.
We often hear the cliché, ‘how the other half lives’, but most of that half will not accept the fact that they are looked upon as ‘the other half’.
Ireland is one of the most generous countries per capita in the world, when it comes to voluntary donations to charities and worthy causes. Could some of this be down to the fact that our collective conscience is eased by contributing to homeless charities, SVDP and Brother Kevin? Giving like this makes us feel good?
Now, if the Government proposed an increase in income tax to make it unnecessary for charitable organisation to look after the weak and homeless, would the voters proclaim; ‘what a wonderfully inspiring idea?’ I don’t think so …
It is undoubtedly a fact that much of the poverty in this rich country is caused by an underlying problem such as alcoholism, drug abuse or gambling addiction. But for every addict, there are an average of five innocent human beings suffering as a result – mostly children.
At this stage, the reason that a family is without a roof over their head shouldn’t matter. The suffering is the same no matter what the root cause. Despite what the man with the two cows says, surely a simple system can be found to assist all those unfortunate people in need of help?
Part of the problem is that those with the two cows don’t get to see the man trying to survive with no cow. A couple of generations back, when there was little or no state aid against poverty , country people always rallied to help – because they could see it.
If a small farmer became ill or hospitalised, the neighbours pitched in and looked after his wife and children. Potatoes were sown, hay saved and animals tended to – and without the slightest compliment. The people could see the difference their help made. Other than what we can actually see working with local voluntary charities, we are rather suspicious that money from the big pool is not spent wisely.
With regard to housing the homeless, the greatest scandal is not a lack of housing. The greatest scandal is the empty houses. Ireland is driving forward with the handbrake on due to the crazy … maybe even criminal, imposition of regulations.
There are enough roofs to shelter all the homeless, but the building and safety regulations which apply to new buildings are also being applied to older building which are perfectly suited to housing a family. Houses where families were reared until the property changed hands and a fire officer says it must be gutted before anyone else can sleep there.
There is a two-part solution to letting of older residencies … provided that a portion of common sense can be added to the equation. First of all, escape windows, opening out and outside fire-stairs can be installed at no great cost.
The second thing is that, even if there is some slight risk, an able-bodied adult, of sound mind, should be able to make his or own decision to choose such rental accommodation, in preference to a sleeping bag on the street.
Don’t Forget
Unless a man is a recipient of charity, he should be a contributor to it.
