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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Paul – I assume somebody’s is picking cotton. I love Mexicans and really all people, but I feel like the Latin immigrants are doing the work we don’t want to do. I could be wrong. They work to eat and send money back to relatives I guess. Me gusta mucho!
Olly,
Just a true observation from my perspective. I have talked to homeless humans in Brazil, prostituted young boys and girls in Rio de Janeiro, given high value items like jeans and sneakers to people in Havanna Cuba and homeless and prostitutes in New York. I’m from Sweden but traveled the world with my dad. I was born with a natural love and understanding of animals. I guess Im an empathic person because I feel a need to help and rescue. I spend Christmas and Thanksgiving serving meals to homeless women, children and men at the Mother Theresa shelter in Miami. I don’t need praise for that. I was born in a great country, to great parents. I’m a stage 4 cancer survivor (diagnosed 6/17/2012) but was strong enough to build my business up, start some major rescue work, start a support group called Project Shine On where I donate free wigs, free makeovers and emotional and nutritional advice for newly diagnosed. I’m sure I was spared because my job is not done.None of that is remarkable to me. I read animals feelings by observing their eyes and body language. I don’t care that I didn’t fit in. I’m not ashamed I dressed like I did today. He dressed like a banker. That was supposed to illustrate a point. Im a Vegan so I don’t like the thought of swinging a dead cat because that actually happens. We can agree to disagree. I know the Mayor and all the Commissioners. It’s a Machiavellian situation. Plus I really like all people, from all countries, from whatever the religion they believe in. Since they are saying it’s to protect homeless from food poisoning, and denying its their filthy conditions, smell, addictions, panhandling and making people uncomfortable in front of small businesses that’s the motivating factor I think my true story from today fits great on this thread. I am not remarkable at all.
This new “law” reminds me of Ken Keechls Dangerous Dog Law. A dog biting another dog ONCE would result in a quick trip to BCAC. Fine was $500 to get your dog back. You had to hire your own lawyer. Those who could afford neither had their dog euthanized. No due process and the law was actually found to be unconstitutional. Chip Lamarca (R)led the other commissioners to vote out the law. 40+ people spoke for 3 minutes to the Commissioners.I just endorsed Chip for re-election as I did not want Keechl (D)(Michael Vick) back.
90 yr old breaks this new law, arrested and put in handcuffs, taken to jail, $500 fine and if he can’t hire a good lawyer he might be sent to jail for 60 days. Might get shanked and die. Will then probably be sainted, like Mother Theresa and discuss giving fish and bread to the hungry, then teaching them to fish like Jesus did.
We are famous! Tourists from everywhere will want to come her to photograph and feed our wild homeless in their natural outdoor habitat! Maybe the native and almost extinct Homo Homelessius Stinkius, which travels on 2 legs with all their belongings in a shopping cart in a migratory pattern from den to den, can be trapped and put on display at the Metro Zoo or Monkey Jungle? Foreign visitors would love that! Radio collars are placed around their necks to locate this elusive relative to Homo Sapiens.Stay tuned!
Anyhoo. Everything is Obamas fault. Or the President who abolished slavery hence killed the thriving Cotton Picking Industry. Do Mexicans or Illegal Immigrants pick cotton? Nevermind. they are Illegal too.Or whoever made it legal for everyone to vote. Foreigners, women and LGBT people caused this. And bankcrupted America. Obama started a war that cost trillions and killed loyal American soldiers. Obama and Israel secretly funded Islamic Terrorists that later became ISIS. Barrack HUSSEIN Obama.
Great, creative, innovative, inspiring worldwide PR Campaign Chamber of Congress, Mayor Seiler and the 1% right here in Broward!
Anna, etc. – Mexicans pick cotton in Arizona, or used to under the bracero program. Now there are combine pickers that are much more efficient.
Anna,
Was that supposed to be remarkable? You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting someone that will judge you for any number of reasons. Newsflash: You judged them to be looking down on you because you were dirty. Both of you might be equally wrong. That’s called human nature; it’s the one thing progressives believe can be improved and precisely why they will always fail.
A very wealthy Jewish man from Peru was at Nothern Trust on Las Olas today. I was cashing a wealthy clients check for my services. I could have passed for a homeless. 2 dogs walked through, I petted both since I am an animal lover, an animal rescuer (Just went to Cesar Milans Coctail party sat night)A dog trainer and a dog behaviorist.The wealthy man, with whom I conversed in 4 of the 5 languages I speak, told me he almost died from food poisoning after buying fish at Winn Dixie. So make sure you do not buy food for the Homeless at Winn Dixie! A stern employee then asked if I knew the wealthy man, looking at my dirty paw covered clothes. The man said yes. I then asked if Mrs Lee still worked there. The man said “She’s my boss”. Tell her Anna, her dogs dog trainer said hi!
Moral of this story: I was looked down upon by because I was dirty today.
I posted the Mayor’s letter early in this thread to counter the article but I must have missed some comments. Has government lying become so commonplace that no one bothers to question it any more? Rafferty cited this quote:
“After getting arrested, the two pastors and elderly homeless advocate each face a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.”
The Mayor’s letter stated the following:
“Contrary to what was reported in the media, no one was taken into custody.”
Are both factually accurate? What am I missing?
Olly – Darren would have a better take on this, but I think you can be arrested, ticketed and released. Custody usually infers jailing, taking fingerprints, strip searching, etc.
Spinelli, your attention is needed on the Miller-Young thread, the are OFF TOPIC! They need your wise guidance.
A “bit uncivil.” Is that an uncivil ordinance violation? I see the Barney Fife, Civil Deputies, have assembled. Everyone got your bullet? Notify Sheriff Andy of any and all violations!! LOL!
Nick,
First of all, you are the one that was concerned which political party the mayor belonged to. The article did not make it a political issue, just a humanitarian one. Your response seemed a bit uncivil suggesting that I should do as you say. It is not a political issue to stand up for an injustice being meted out by any city council or any mayor, no matter the party.
Beyond arrogance Bettykath, sounds threatening, IMO.
Came here to look up something and what do I see?
“And if you’re smart you’ll do just that”.
Arrogance.
“And if you’re smart you’ll do just that”. Wow. Just wow.
raff, I’m the last guy you want to try and BS. Most people realize that. But, unlike you, the person who always asks “for proof” of assertions, I will just say, “Sure you did!” Let’s leave it @ that. And, if you’re smart, you’ll do just that.
…’makes them…’
Okay, let’s argue like Kaylena.
“Liberals who oppose my view want to kill the homeless, plus they enjoy it. That makes him very bad people.”
Your turn.
If people are mad now (They have every right to be this is beyond sick) just wait til people start dieing from hunger or is that what they are trying to do? Hey stop feeding them because now they wont try to get out of being homeless *thinks quietly* and if they happen to die as well that works for me because that will be one less homeless person taking away my money I get from tourist and my city will look the best because I have fewer homeless people. Also now when people do it they are Breaking the law and will now be charged and again I get more money.
@Paul C. Schulte
” the City of Phoenix channelled the feeding of the homeless away the direct downtown in an effort to disperse them. It was not effective.”
As I would guess.
Because the problem with most homeless is not the lack of food or shelter.
Yikes….sorry for the bold type….I didn’t mean to do that!
It should be illegal to have ANY large organized event on public land without prior permission or permits being issued. Parades. Political events. Tent revivals. Marriage ceremonies involving large groups of people. Things that require setting up of equipment and dismantling of equipment.
The reason for this is so that the “event” doesn’t interfere with the average public’s ability to use the public land or inconvenience public access and availability to the lands. To prevent colliding or overlapping events. To pay for the resulting cleanup of the event. To cover the costs of repairing any damage to the public lands. To pay for possible additional security that may be needed.
This doesn’t or shouldn’t affect the ordinary person who wants to picnic, use the park or even stand and protest or speak in public about any issue (as long as they aren’t damaging the property or preventing others from using it). This is why in general, the homeless are not evicted from sitting on a park bench or otherwise using the park. Living in the park is another issue entirely. Permitting should be for ‘larger organized events’ such as setting up an outdoor kitchen and feeding large numbers of people as an event for YOUR church or organization.
The property belongs to the general public and all of our taxes go to maintain the property. If the people in the town want to have an ordinance that prevents damage to the property and/or compensates the city for the work that must be done to repair and maintain the property after being used for other than ordinary uses, that is their prerogative.
(sorry for the typos – writing from my phone)