You assume that I don't give to the needy, which is not accurate. The reason I don't give to panhandlers who are working the same location every day is because those people aren't needy; they are selling a service where they fake need in order to let people fake generosity and feel good about themselves.

Fate has a way of testing your beliefs. The day after I wrote that comment, I was pumping gas when I was approached by a disheveled man who asked for money. I watched him cross the street going to the convenience store, so it didn't appear that asking for money was his full-time gig. I gave him money, and he walked into the convenience store and purchased some food. No beer, wine, or cigarettes, but food. I had the money, and he needed it, so I gave it to him.

This guy might have been a professional panhandler taking a break, but that isn't what I saw. He was a needy person who was hungry, so I helped him. Need versus pretense may not matter to some people, but it does to me. Every dollar I give on pretense is a dollar not given to someone truly in need.