Discussing the case of the the police officer who was caught on video providing new boots to a homeless man with bare feet, and then how the man turned out not to be homeless after all and was seen begging in bare feet again just days later.
[Princeton religion professor Eric] Gregory said that while those who are receiving such direct aid might be complicated, selfish and difficult — so are we. He reminded me of something the theologian and author C.S. Lewis wrote: “Another things that annoys me is when people say, “Why did you give that man money? He’ll probably go and drink it.” My reply is, “But if I kept it, I should have probably drunk it.”
via Paul Brandeis Raushenbush: Should We Give a Homeless Man Shoes?.