Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Weekend Contributor
Did you know that somewhere in America, it is illegal to feed the homeless in public? It can’t be true can it? It is true in Fort Lauderdale, Florida after the recent passage of an ordinance by the city council. The real scary part of that news is that Fort Lauderdale is not alone in taking this anti-compassionate stance!
“Over 30 cities across the nation have outlawed or are considering criminalizing the provision of food to homeless people. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, over 20 cities have devised laws against giving food to homeless people since January 2013.” Nation of Change
While I can understand this stance if these cities are adding health guidelines to make such feeding attempts safer, I am shocked that over 30 cities have outlawed it or are considering outlawing the practice of giving food to the hungry and homeless. Are public picnics next on the hit list?
Why would any city want to stop the feeding of the homeless in public? Just who are these brigands who are trying to destroy the city of Fort Lauderdale by having the audacity to feed the hungry?
“In an act of compassion and civil disobedience, a 90-year-old man and two pastors in Fort Lauderdale openly defied a new city ordinance barring anyone from feeding homeless people in public. After police intervened and charged them with a crime, 90-year-old Arnold Abbott and Pastor Dwayne Black returned several days later to break the draconian law again. Although Abbott received another citation, police decided not to place him in custody.
Last Sunday, Arnold Abbott, Pastor Dwayne Black of The Sanctuary Church in Fort Lauderdale, and Mark Sims of St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Coral Springs fed homeless people in a public park in South Florida two days after the city passed a new ordinance outlawing the provision of food to vagrants in public. After getting arrested, the two pastors and elderly homeless advocate each face a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.
“One of the police officers said, ‘Drop that plate right now,’ as if I were carrying a weapon,” recalled Abbott. “It’s man’s inhumanity to man is all it is.”
On Wednesday evening, Abbott and Pastor Black remained undeterred as they served a four-course meal to nearly 100 homeless people at Fort Lauderdale Beach. After police officers recorded the simple act of kindness on their video cameras, they escorted Abbott away from the crowd to fingerprint him and issue another citation. Wary of public backlash, law enforcement officials chose not to place Abbott in handcuffs and haul him off to jail again.” Nation of Change
The City of Fort Lauderdale claims that they don’t want hungry and homeless people fed in public because they claim it will only keep them from trying to get out of the cycle of homelessness. Of course, one has to wonder if the real reason might be related to the tourism trade that brings in big dollars to Fort Lauderdale. After all, it seems that this latest ordinance to ban the feeding of the homeless in public is just one of the anti-homeless ordinances passed by the city fathers of Fort Lauderdale.
“Backed by the Chamber of Commerce, the recent city ordinance is the fourth law Fort Lauderdale has passed this year against the homeless. The other laws ban homeless people from panhandling at traffic intersections and outlaw sleeping or storing their belongings on public property. According to Pastor Black, the recent food-sharing ordinance passed after a long meeting past midnight after many people had gone home.
“It’s a pubic safety issue. It’s a public health issue,” Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler rationalized. “The experts have all said that if you’re going to feed them to get them from breakfast to lunch to dinner, all you’re doing is enabling that cycle of homelessness.”
One of these so-called experts is Ron Book, a city lobbyist who commended the Fort Lauderdale commissioners for passing the ordinance. Book told the commissioners that feeding impoverished people on the streets merely sanctions homelessness. Book added, “Whatever discourages feeding people on the streets is a positive thing.” ‘ Nation of Change
I just love it when experts turn out to be lobbyists pedaling their bosses wares. Mr. Abbot has made it his life’s work to help the poor and this isn’t the first time he has fought with Fort Lauderdale over feeding people in public. He won a court case against the city in 1999 over this same issue and Fort Lauderdale may be looking at another court case over this issue.
While I do understand that large groups of homeless people can impact the look and feel of any city, the realities of how many of these people end up on the streets is no mystery. However, it seems that Fort Lauderdale would rather punish the poor and the people trying to help them rather than attempt to help solve some of the problems that leads people into the streets.
Mr. Abbott and the ministers have taken it upon themselves to treat these homeless people as humans and strive to provide them with a meal. Fort Lauderdale gets an early Grinch award for punishing the modern-day Samaritans who are doing the job that Fort Lauderdale refuses to do. Kudos to these individuals who are risking themselves to help the less fortunate.
I think it is time for the Mayor and the City Council to start rolling up their sleeves and helping feed and house and treat the homeless. Or get out-of-the-way. What do you think?
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“would you like to point out exactly how the law is unjust?”
Paul,
You ask a very good question and it’s one that is often ignored (just like now). What rights are being infringed?
Also, I doubt JT would sign on to blasphemy laws for his blog.
It’s a political cartoon, long held as a means of free speech. Don’t like it too bad, complain to JT.
The mentality of these visually offensive and vapid grammar school cartoons is that of the people that marched for months @ the Wi. State Capitol, defacing it and having on big, childish, hissy fit. They have gotten their butts kicked TWICE since that temper tantrum and they have made Walker even stronger because of these childish and stupid tactics. “Stupid is as stupid does” as raff likes to say often.
I’d say it was even uncivil.
Gosh that’s an unkind thing to say about Paul, Spinelli.
Grammar school horse manure and a disgrace to this blog.
Seriously Paul, it’s not OBVIOUS to you? Wow.
Annie – if you cannot answer the question just admit it. Otherwise, answer the question.
Gary here you go.
http://startthinkingright.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/democrats-pervert-and-steal-jesus.png
The Mayor of Ft. Lauderdale, and 3 of the 4 City Councilman are Dems. As we know, Dems LOVE to control and regulate everything. They are the nannies. They would rather pass stupid laws in the guise of “helping” protect people and crap all over the poor and good people trying to help them. Thanks raff, for showing us just how depraved the Dem nanny state has become. I know you’re a hardcore Dem, this took courage. Or, did you just not research? LOL.
Annie – would you like to point out exactly how the law is unjust?
I would hope any travelers would BOYCOTT the city as long as the bigots are making such laws. I can only imagine what they would have done to Jesus.
Gary – just what do you think the city would have done to Jesus? Crucify him?
https://mangipng.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/mlk-unjust-laws.jpg
It is the place that is the problem, not the feeding of the homeless. Although the reports have been somewhat suspicious in saying the cops waited and watched for 45 minutes before busting him. I am not sure if they were trying to get most of the crowd fed or waiting for the food to cool.
Phoenix, like most major cities, has a homeless population that is a problem. My wife, who works downtown, is accosted both morning, noon and night by homeless.
Personally, I gave up giving to the ‘homeless’ after a trip to NYC and learning that some of the panhandlers there make $100k plus a year. Experiments by social scientists (I use the term very loosely) have shown that you can make $200-300 a day getting change from cars coming off the freeway. Triple that if it appears you have a baby.
While people can disagree in good faith about the degree and nature of assistance to give them, they won’t get very far without food.
I agree with Don on almost all points. However, the issue is not giving the homeless food. It is the location of being ….outdoors on publicly owned property.
There can be food locations IN churches. In non public buildings…Maybe even inside of public buildings. Hell…if you feel that strongly about it invite some homeless to YOUR house for dinner. Food served at tables with plates, flatware and napkins……. instead of on plates balanced on knees while squatting on the grass or in the bushes. Food eaten in healthy surroundings and able to be cleaned up after the meal is over. Meals eaten in a communal setting with dignity.
The serving of food is NOT the issue. No one wants the homeless to be hungry. It is that the outdoor location is not sanitary nor is it lawful.
Of course, since no one in our government actually obeys the laws they write or enforces the laws unless they feel like it, I guess I understand the idea from many here that the laws are only to be followed if you want to or if you feel like it.
http://www.sanctuarychurchftl.org/
The Sanctuary Church, sounds like a wonderful ministry. One of those social justice churches Glenn Beck said to run run run away from.
While there are some homeless people who are merely down on their luck, many of the homeless are mentally ill. They don’t always act or think rationally. What may seem “more humane” to us is not necessarily what they want or like. Unfortunately, I speak on this topic with first hand experience in dealing with a family member who is mentally ill, won’t take meds, and was at one time homeless by choice.
It’s easy to marginalize the homeless as long as they remain nameless and faceless. Everyone one of them has a name, a story to tell, and needs assistance far more than any of us. While people can disagree in good faith about the degree and nature of assistance to give them, they won’t get very far without food.
It’s refreshing to see a near unanimous condemnation of the bureaucratic state. This reminds me of what I understand JT’s position on policy vs principle is; the constitution comes first. Just because one believes in a particular foreign or domestic policy, it is NEVER acceptable to violate the rule of law to implement it.
These people who are feeding the homeless outdoors ARE affiliated with churches. Again obviously there is a NEED beyond what the areas homeless shelters and feeding centers can deal with, hence the outdoor feeding.
To me it sounds like homeless people are not allowed to enjoy beaches and parks.
Of course they can enjoy the parks, beaches and open spaces. They just can’t live there 24/7. Neither can you or I or anyone else live in the parks or public places. Homelessness is caused by all sorts of conditions and to ignore the homeless is heartless. It is also heartless to give sops and not solutions.
This is why organizations like Churches, Salvation Army and yes even government funded shelters like the ones I described above are key to helping the homeless.