Why I Give to Panhandlers

Andrea Laiacona Dooley
Nov 6 · 4 min read
Photo by Brian Patrick Tagalog on Unsplash

In 2014, Occupy Oakland brought an influx of young-looking white people to my town. They dressed in black, had Anarchy patches and didn’t appear to bathe. They were what I had always thought of as “gutter punks,” kids who were on the margin of the punk/hardcore/DIY scene, being slightly angrier and much smellier than the rest of us. If they’d lived in Oakland before the protests, I didn’t recall them being present in such high numbers, and…

Keep the story going. Sign up for an extra free read.

Andrea Laiacona Dooley

Written by

I write memoir, politics, mysteries, children's books, recipes, to do lists, and ideas. Please subscribe to my newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/AndreaLD

The Squeak

Thoughts on culture, parenting, feminism, the environment and everything else in the world

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade