90-year-old Florida man faces 60 days in jail for feeding the homeless

a reply to: onequestion
But...but...you could be a terrorist dressed up like a 90 year old man, feeding those homeless people poison. We have to have laws to protect the public...

Naw, you're right. It's stupid...

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: onequestion
But...but...you could be a terrorist dressed up like a 90 year old man, feeding those homeless people poison. We have to have laws to protect the public...

Naw, you're right. It's stupid...

I'm going to have to agree with your original premise. just the word terro*** makes me # my pants a little every time. Scarrry.

Here's this from NPR :

" According to a report released Monday by the National Coalition for the Homeless, 21 cities have passed measures aimed at restricting the people who feed the homeless since January 2013. In that same time, similar legislation was introduced in more than 10 cities. Combined, these measures represent a 47 percent increase in the number of cities that have passed or introduced legislation to restrict food sharing since the coalition last counted in 2010.

The latest city to crack down is Fort Lauderdale, Fla. According to the Sun Sentinel, the city's commissioners passed a measure early Wednesday that will require feeding sites to be more than 500 feet away from each other, with only one allowed per city block. They'll also have to be at least 500 feet from residential properties."

NPR

Wonder who voted those folk in who made these and many other horrific laws?

I think to get around stupid laws like this the churches should start renting a bus. Then bus all the homeless poeple out to 2 feet outside the city limits, feed all the homeless, then bus them back into the city.

Depending on the laws of the city they could even bus them into an area they are not "allowed" that way the city can pay for a warm bed for the homeless also.

Makes me sick, how can you outlaw giving someone food?

I think the courts need to be used to severely limit the power and scope of these stupid ordinances that cities are continuing to pass.

The Sun-Sentinal article states that there are options for feeding the homeless in town under the ordinance.

that will require feeding sites to be more than 500 feet away from each other, with only one allowed per city block. They'll also have to be at least 500 feet from residential properties."

So the rule doesn't seem quite so draconian and uncaring towards the needs of the homeless...

Of course if you've been to downtown Ft Lauderdale you know that there are residential properties (condos) everywhere. You'd be hard pressed to find an area not within 500 feet from a residence.

a reply to: quercusrex

This is completely stupid this is what they are going to do. Regulate every single aspect of our lives until we fight back and then after they quell the rebellion

Hunger games.

originally posted by: XTexan
I think to get around stupid laws like this the churches should start renting a bus. Then bus all the homeless poeple out to 2 feet outside the city limits, feed all the homeless, then bus them back into the city.

Depending on the laws of the city they could even bus them into an area they are not "allowed" that way the city can pay for a warm bed for the homeless also.

Makes me sick, how can you outlaw giving someone food?

I think the courts need to be used to severely limit the power and scope of these stupid ordinances that cities are continuing to pass.

The main argument against feeding the homeless, is that they start to gather, sleep and get high or drunk around the feeding zones. Then that attracts drug dealers, prostitutes, pickpockets and other predators.

The proper solution would just be to provide them with housing and meals somewhere on the outskirts of the city. It's already been proved - no homeless, no crime.

a reply to: onequestion
So we can't share food? Just give them some money while in the restaurant with them and let them buy it. Say they did work for you and you're paying them or something. If you think about it, it's not that hard to get around that law. It sounds to me like the city just wants a few extra dollars so they decided to slap a weird law on something people commonly do.

a reply to: onequestion

Could you not just say that you were taking them into your home for a few days .

a reply to: stormcell

 It's already been proved - no homeless, no crime

Is that a sarcastic statement? I hope so, or are you actually saying that homeless people are the only ones committing crimes?

Anyway, I don't have much to add to this topic. I don't think there's much to say about it other than it disgusts me that there are people in this world that think feeding a homeless human being is wrong and should be illegal. Also, I'm embarrassed to be a resident of Fort Lauderdale.

a reply to: onequestion

I understand them making an 'ordinance', but why would any police officer enforce this? I hope he sues each and every individual for each second of his time wasted on a spurious complaint. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness indeed...

originally posted by: thesaneone
a reply to: onequestion

So now it's against the law to take my money and buy food for people???? Wow this has to be one of the most ridiculous laws against the homeless, truly sad.

They have a similar law here in the UK...only, it's for feeding pigeons!

They look at wild birds and pigeons as vermin, the rationale being, if you feed the vermin, they will stay...i guess poor people in Florida are thought of in the same way.

Rather than attempt to give people a little dignity and perhaps a small, cheap home or shelter, they are deliberately attempting to starve them out, so the move on somewhere else.

Outrageous...almost as though they are criminalising being poor.

I just read this on FB..this is terribly sad--I just don't know how a world like this can survive? Very..very sad.

a reply to: MysterX

What they are really criminalizing is irresponsible behavior and I for one am behind it!

I think we should even taking it a step further by not only criminalizing irresponsible behavior but also shaming it.

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
I can think of a better song for the occasion..

This not only makes me angry but also frightens me. I am semi homeless and if it was like that here I would starve and possibly die.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: MysterX

What they are really criminalizing is irresponsible behavior and I for one am behind it!

I think we should even taking it a step further by not only criminalizing irresponsible behavior but also shaming it.

Hope you never have the misfortune of finding yourself homeless..

Funny that! I thought America was a Christian country and the parable about the Good Samaritan and helping others was the basic tenant of that religion.

What about one's basic freedom to choose to help people - or is it just for the rich to patsy up to their favourite charities and good publicity that TPTB honour these days?

That delightful elderly gentleman has every right to help feed the homeless and it is a very Christian act. Good on him.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: StratosFear

Well, the best I do is talk to people about it in real life. I talk to strangers about issues like this and try and get more people comfortably talking about it. It's no easy task and it can be socially isolating but I'm stuck as a man of principle having to do this.

I figure if enough of us do this maybe we can have an impact on the culture.

Talk gets you no where.

Its action.

Why not find out when these guys have their day in court and act.

Go and stand outside of the courthouse and if the guys are charged for feeding the poor then the public must act not talk about this travesty.

Talk,

lots of talk going on, not enough action.