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Giving to the homeless isn't some Nietzschean thunderdome eugenics experiment.
Back when I was going to be a psychologist, we were required to volunteer at the homeless shelters and soup kitchens.
Lots of mental illness in the homeless population.
A recurring problem was the people who didn’t technically NEED the help because they were homeless by choice and this was their means of making a living. No luxuries, but completely off the grid.
A subset of these “fine” folks hovered outside the edge of the charities waiting for a generous soul to wander in with handouts. They were predators disguised among the needy.
It was possible to ID who’s who once you’d been there a few days, but it’d be hard on a “just passing through” basis.
You’ve got to balance your generosity with caution knowing that while 6 in 10 who’ll accept your charity are grateful for it, there’s 1 who’s waiting to take everything you have while your guard is down.
Even worse is one of those 6, whom you’ve dealt with peacefully many times, can turn on a dime and become the one who’s trying to kill you for trying to help. Remember what I said about there being a lot of mental illness in the homeless population?
Just because there are people you cannot give to and people you shouldn't give to doesn't mean you shouldn't give if you want to.
To borrow a turn of phrase from a friend, "Charity is a mitzvah!" and there's nothing inherently wrong with giving to the homeless.
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