Click Here to Subsribe to the 'The Vance Report' Feed By the time I reached my apartment tonight, I was feeling a little depressed. It’s not like I haven’t seen beggars before. China is full of them. But after the third beggar held out their hand to me tonight, I began thinking about why they are out there in a country that holds so much promise. The last beggar that I encountered wasn’t even asking me for money; he wanted one of the tomatoes that I was carrying in a small plastic bag. I wish I would have given him one now.
My friends in China tell me that they never give money to beggars because according to them, “it’s always a scam.” I am told that even the beggars without their arms and the legs are merely puppets of a larger group. During a rather horrifying conversation, one Chinese man told me that kidnapped Chinese children frequently have their hands or their legs chopped off to be used as moneymaking machines. In other words, nothing is at it seems when you see these poor people. There is usually something else going on behind the scene.
With that said, my students admitted that giving money to beggars can do some good because if they do not meet their quota, they could be beaten. And yes, there are some genuine beggars out there who have simply fallen on hard times. It’s just hard, of course, to tell who is who.
But maybe it doesn’t matter who is who. If you feel like you should give, then do it, and don’t worry too much about where your money is going. Chances are, by giving some money, you are helping the beggar, even if the money doesn’t end up in his pocket. Hopefully, your money saved him a beating or worse.
The environment in China is harsh; it always has been. While the country has experienced new highs in terms of economic achievement and development, a great deal of poverty still exists, especially in the countryside. There are people out there who are barely making it. As is the case in any country that makes a transition to capitalism, the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. However, hopefully there is more room for movement within the social strata and a person of low economic status can make their way up the ladder. No matter what, there were always be beggars wherever you go. Use good judgement but don’t be stingy. Some people could really use your help.
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Dear Hank,
the world is more cruel and more kind than we think.Evidence….bull shit…look around world has already poisoned.Majority of china is mentally cut off by their own Goverment.That is the system.China is one of the richest country in globe.but did you see the condition?
Robert, the matter is not whether we give money to beggers or not, the poor people is getting poorer, richest are getting richer..what should we do…?
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If you bother to read my article the whole way through you will notice that I never presented it as documented evidence. I wrote that I was given this information by friends (and not just two but many more).
While I never wrote or indicated that it was a common event, people here who I know have told me that it happens far more often than you might think.
And what is your point with your comment about prosecution? We are talking about organized crime – people who are good at not getting caught. If they do get caught, I am sure that they are prosecuted.
Contrary to what you might wish or think, I am not running a newspaper here. I can share whatever ‘gossip’ I want because this is my website and I have that privilege. If you don’t like it, go somewhere else.
It’s not as if I do (or should have to) answer to you for what I write on this website.
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Hank,
I’m not going to retract my statements because what I wrote above are based on conversations with multiple sources. Talk to any Chinese person out there and they will tell you that this does happen.
Documented proof? Come on, now. I don’t know if you have ever been here before, but this is China that we are talking about. Documented proof is hard to come by about anything going on here.
I can only guess that you have never been here before (or have been here for a limited time) because what I wrote is common knowledge.
It is very naive to think that just because the majority of Chinese people treat their children well that this couldn’t be going on. Are you serious?
Do I have to remind you that in every society there are bad apples or do you think that there is no one in China who is capable of doing something so evil?
It’s time to wake up and smell the roses, my friend. You are in denial.
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Hank Reply:
January 4th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Well, Robert, you apparently don’t know the difference between hearsay evidence and documentation. What you have noted is gossip.
I have been to China three times for a total of seven months. I have been many places in China and have seen the beggars, not the children with their hands cut off, but the deformed people hanging out on city streets and around shrines, temples and other religious sites. I often give them money.
OK, I believe you might find some case in China where some deranged person cut off the hands of a child to produce a beggar, and China probably has serial killers, too. But that doesn’t mean it is a common occurrence as Jappa indicates and your comments support.
Talk about naive! Do you believe everything that you hear on the street? If so, I have a couple of bridges to sell to you. Multiple sources, huh. That be two? You sound like a gossip columnist.
You smell the coffee! Do you believe that in this society someone could do such a horrific deed and not be prosecuted? Really? I don’t think so.
As I said, produce documented evidence and I’ll buy into your opinion. Otherwise, don’t fan the flames. Without evidence, I remain a doubter. I challenge you to stand by your comments and produce the proof. Otherwise, you have lent credence to an awful rumor, and nothing more than that. Without proof, you should keep what you hear “from multiple sources” to yourself. Stop the rumor mongering, Robert! This forum should be a clearing house for such nonsense.
I stand firm by my comments regarding this subject.
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I have difficulty believing that someone in China chops off the hands of anyone to produce a beggar. This sounds like a tall tale. The Chinese people are the kindest people on earth, and they are gentle, loving people too, I’ve not seen such loving care for children elsewhere. These qualities added to the fact that penalties are severe for law breakers, I just can’t buy what you are saying.
Now, beggars may be scamming the givers, but I don’t for a minute believe that someone cuts off the hands of a child to produce cash flow. Think about it now. Do you have documented proof of this actually happening? if not, you should retract your statements. There are too many false stories floating around about China without us adding another.
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That’s one way to look at it, Japa.
Another way to look at it is that these people will probably be subject to severe beatings if they don’t make their quotas every day. Thus, by giving them a little change, you may be helping them to be spared from some physical harm later on.
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If you are giving money indirectly, via the beggar to the beggars “master”, because they have cut this beggars hands off, you are paying people to cut peoples hands off. Kindly dont participate in that. Feel free to help out a genuine local charity with money or time but please understand that what you do has implications. If you MUST give directly then giving food is an alternative option.
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