Heartless bureaucrats criminalise feeding of the poor

[GadgetMaster]

A Florida man who deliberately defied an Orlando ordinance which prohibits feeding the city's homeless will become the first person to face trial for the offence when he's hauled before a judge and jury.

What has society come to when feeding the homeless is a crime?    :-?

[Speelgoedmannetje]

The register makes parodies, AFAIK

[GadgetMaster]

Speelgoedmannetje wrote:
The register makes parodies, AFAIK

The Register is a genuine (mainly technical) news site that is known to sensationalise stuff tabloid style but this is neither a parody nor a lie:

http://www.wftv.com/video/14295315/index.html

http://www.wftv.com/news/14295999/detail.html

:-(

Maybe he is being made an example out of because he is anti-war?

[motorollin]

Why would they ban feeding the homeless in the first place?

--
moto

[cecilia]

if you want something funny to read try this:

Bush Makes Surprise Visit To Work   :lol:

CIA Asks Bush To Discontinue Blog

[Cymric]

GadgetMaster wrote:
What has society come to when feeding the homeless is a crime?    :-?

I can think of a few reasons. First, there's food safety issues. I'm sure the generous person wasn't intending on giving the homeless a belly ache, but the rules for larger scale food preparation are a lot more stringent. Second, there is always the risk that some homeless people swap their food for alcohol or drugs, adding to the problem instead of solving it. I immediately admit this is highly unlikely, especially if you give them, say, an apple or an orange. However, I do know that in Rotterdam the local government began actively telling people not to give to beggars and homeless directly, but instead to give to the registered charities and instances which dealt with these poor sods. Because then they'd have a means of making sure that the homeless could be helped effectively---in other words, get them into a plan of sorts with the ultimate aim to get them off the street completely.

My reasons might appear contrived, but in their own way, they're quite valid.

[motorollin]

Or maybe the government are just hoping the homeless will eventually starve to death, so they won't have to deal with the issue of homelessness.

--
moto

[KThunder]

@Cymric

those are exactly the reasons that were given when a similar ordinance was put in place in a city near me. even though it is a small city there are two homeless shelters and several other places including two churches and a ymca and ywca that have housing.
those places are prepared and capable of really helping people get back on their feet. not just food but shelter, education and help getting a job.

not contrived at all. help someone who is homeless. dont give them food, or especially money. tell them were they can get real help. call them a cab help them to help.

oh there is also the salvation army and the sheltered workshop i forgot about those two.

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Cymric wrote:

GadgetMaster wrote:
What has society come to when feeding the homeless is a crime?    :-?

I can think of a few reasons. First, there's food safety issues. I'm sure the generous person wasn't intending on giving the homeless a belly ache, but the rules for larger scale food preparation are a lot more stringent. Second, there is always the risk that some homeless people swap their food for alcohol or drugs, adding to the problem instead of solving it. I immediately admit this is highly unlikely, especially if you give them, say, an apple or an orange. However, I do know that in Rotterdam the local government began actively telling people not to give to beggars and homeless directly, but instead to give to the registered charities and instances which dealt with these poor sods. Because then they'd have a means of making sure that the homeless could be helped effectively---in other words, get them into a plan of sorts with the ultimate aim to get them off the street completely.

My reasons might appear contrived, but in their own way, they're quite valid.

It's about the US, Cymric, not the Netherlands...

[Matt_H]

I'm no legal scholar, but that law sounds fairly unconstitutional. There might be some public gathering or general food distribution bylaws (AKA, the defendant should have applied for some permits), so if all goes well he'll be cited/fined for those and the law itself will be struck down.