Dear FRONTLINE,
It was terrific! Sensitive, interesting, good photography. I have no
quarrel with the happy ending, but did wonder what happened to the rest of
"the family." What are the UNHAPPY endings like?
Thanks for a good show.
D.S.
Athens, GA
Dear Frontline,
The program that you aired which detailed the lives of some homeless
people in New York was at once depressing and uplifting. It has prompted me
to renew my committment to helping those who live without the comforts of a
home in my city, San Francisco. Thank you for such an honest portrayal of a
daily reality many of us try to forget.
J.M.
Dear FRONTLINE,
Your presentation of the "Begging Game" on Frontline of Dec 19 1995 reminded
me of how often we pass street people who seem to be faceless entities,
devoid of identity or personality. They are there but we often wish they
were not, pretending they do not exist. You brought out the struggles to
survive, to maintain an existence, however subsistant.
You have shown that under other circumstances some of these people might not
be as they are.
I applaud the fact that you did not portray false sympathy for your
subjects, but gave them the dignity they deserve.
After seeing the presentation, I thought " There, but for the Grace of God,
go I."
Thank you.
D.Q.
Dear Frontline:
Thank you for the interesting program. But I got the feeling
that the program was trying to give the impression that feigning was
was an integral part of panhandling; that the white lies they told to
stay alive were treacherous. I agree that lying is an integral part of
begging, to a certain extent, but fail to see how it differs from the
manner in which some "respectable" institutions sell their products
to us these days.
To those people who were taught at childhood that only pure
hard work should be rewarded, and that giving alms would encourage a
class of derelicts, I wish to make a point...Pan-handling
will never proliferate if patronized, because unlike Hugh Heffner,
who capitalizes on the baser instincts of humans, or General Dynamics
that profits on destruction, the old lady with the paper cup and the
man in the wheel chair try to make money off emotions that are scarce
among human beings - EMPATHY and GENEROSITY.
Please put programs such as this in the proper perspective. Compare it
to the way the rest of us earn our daily bread...Remember that the people you
analyzed do not have politicians or the media to support their cause. Worse
crimes are being committed every day in the U.S.; Why hunt down the weakest?
The only thing worse than poverty is INSENSITIVITY to it!
Sincerely,
K.P.
Dear Frontline,
I recently saw your program on the homeless. I was touched by Teresa's
story. I feel for the homeless but since I am not on their place I can't
judge them. One thing that did upset me was the story of the young girl that
was panhandling money for her mother who was on dialysis. I was hurt that
she would lie the way she did and feel good about herself. She was 17
she is old enough to get a job afterschoo. I feel that she was a sell
out. She had no self esteem level.
I was also very bothered by most of the homeless people that were
panhandling always had a smoke in their hand and a bottle in the other.
I am 17 yrs old and go to high school and have a after school
that I have for a year. So I know that it is possible to have a job and
go to school.
I watched your program and saw the E-mail address and I wanted to
write and tell you what I thought.
Thank you,
C.P.
Dear FRONTLINE,
I was moved by your recent documentary on the street people in New York
City. I am upset that I missed the first few minutes of it, but as soon as I
flipped to PBS, I was hooked. I am extremely impressed by the exstensive
interviews with these people and the in-depth research that was done on their
backgrounds. The follow up information was also well done with "Teresa" and
her street "family". I think this piece was fascinating, realistic, unbiased
and informative.
Everyone seems to have a different opinion on the homeless situation and
how it can be alleviated, but without this kind of in-depth research, people
are not creating well informed ideas. I think it would be benificial for the
American people and American political leaders especially to see this
documentary on national television. Congratulations on a job well done!
Sincerely,
C.L.
Dear FRONTLINE,
Well, unfortunately at best an adequately-done Frontline.
I got the impression of a real superficiality in the reportage on this one.
When dealiing with people panhandling, one MUST at some point confront -
that's right - confront the issue of deceit. It WAS done in this story, but
in a very irresolute manner. Sure, the reporter (i apologize i did not
check the credits for her name) did, in a couple of instances mention that
"a story didn't check out" or that "they actually live in this comfortable
high-rise". But the confrontation was perfunctory: "We didn't find you on
record as undergoing dialysis at New York Hospital. Why do you suppose?"
Reply: "I dunno." Next issue. Hardly driving interrogatory, in my view.
Granted, the interviewees were likely skittish and liable to bolt if
pressed, but the pressure should have been advanced.
The issue of deceit by beggars/panhandlers/whatever is probably the core of
the homeless situation in America today. Too many are seen as con-men,
crooks, liars, no-goodniks that simply don't want to work. Therefore real
people in need are neglected and rebuffed by basically honest people whose
resources of money and empathy are limited, and whose patience with being
taken advantage of has likely already been abused. By neglecting to
confront this issue, the producers of this piece defaulted on the potential
impact of their work.
Sorry, but I'd give it a C-.
S.L.
Dear FRONTLINE,
Last evening, I watch Frontline for the first time.
My sincere compliments on your balanced and informative show. I have often
wondered who the homeless people were, and how they got there.
Thank you.
J.G.