EDITOR’S DESK: Saying ‘no’ is a way of saying ‘yes’

I can think of a ton of subjects I'd rather talk about than panhandling.        The Christmas season, as I've always understood it, is meant to be a time of good cheer, a chance to get together with family and friends, take a little break from work, reflect on the year gone by and enjoy the traditions (personally I think Jesus and Santa would get along fine together).        Unfortunately, there are some humorless folks (the ACLU comes to mind) who would be fine with everyone feeling guilt this time of year. Instead of hoping for goodies under the Christmas tree, we should be anticipating how the Bill of Rights (in conjunction with convenient court cases) can be hair-split into carte blanche for beggars to hang out just about everywhere. (Actually, that's already happening. See the OWN column on Page 6 and our news story on Page 15.) Meanwhile, those who disagree are bullied into silence under the banner of "homeless rights."        But the reaility is that it's only selective indignation on the part of such advocates. They don't want to hear about the detrimental impacts of panhandling. As the ongoing police/citizen "It's OK to Say No" campaign explains, many of those holding up plaintive "help" signs have addiction (and other) issues, and the best way to help them is to give instead to a charity that gets results.        I wrote the following in a recent (longer) online column, that people "may feel good about giving somebody at a street corner a fiver, but as they drive home with that self-congratulatory glow, that recipient may already be on his way to the liquor store, seeking another kind of glow."        What this scenario often leads to is an overdose, with taxpayers picking up the emergency-vehicle tab. And let's not overlook the tragic side, - the downward spiral of the individuals themselves, which robs not just them but the community of potentially productive souls.        The funny thing is, we have the power to fix this problem, whether we call them panhandlers, beggars or "the homeless." Just say no. And then say yes, if you like, to a charity. The ACLU won't give us any help with community rights. But we can give it to ourselves. - K.J.