Arrested for feeding the homeless

[Simotix]

It turns out that feeding the homeless in Orlando is now against the law.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/fo...headlinesinthek (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/food/orl-homeless0507apr05,0,2602061.story?coll=orl-shoppinghg-headlinesinthek)

I just moved to Orlando a few months ago and found this ridiculous, is this a law anywhere else?

[chimx]

Police also collected a vial of stew as evidence.

Clearly that will be a crucial piece of evidence if it ever goes to court.

As far as your question goes, there are generally sanitation laws regarding public food dispensing that are more often related to health issues. If free food is being distributed at public events, the city wants to make sure that distributors know how to keep food cold when necessary, how to wash their hands, etc. Basically make sure people don't get sick.

The law in Orlando is being attacked because it has nothing to do with public health or sanitation, but is specifically aimed at deterring the feeding of homeless people, which is probably why the ACLU is getting behind the issue.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

This also happened to FPM members in Nevada, who were feeding homeless sisters and brothers in a park on a regular basis.

They made a law against feeding homeless folks in the parks there. http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/fpm/page.php?162

[RNK]

Wow, what are they, pigeons?

[Raúl Duke]

Interesting....
I read about this law in a newspaper article either a year ago or in the beginings of 2007.

They should get rid of these laws.

[welshred]

what ever next?

[Janus]

Yeah, this isn't all that uncommon in Florida where they're really targeting the homeless population with strict anti-panhandling laws as well as these "feeding" laws.

[welshred]

Stupid laws, its as if they believe the homless are animals.

[Red Tung]

Originally posted by [email protected] 07, 2007 05:53 pm
what ever next?
What's next? How about starting a religion where it teaches that if you get touched by a homeless person you are "polluted" and have to go home and take a bath.

Oh wait, people already do that now. :lol:

[Tower of Bebel]

Originally posted by Red Tung+April 07, 2007 07:39 pm--> (Red Tung @ April 07, 2007 07:39 pm)
[email protected] 07, 2007 05:53 pm
what ever next?
What's next? How about starting a religion where it teaches that if you get touched by a homeless person you are "polluted" and have to go home and take a bath.

Oh wait, people already do that now. :lol: [/b]
Tomorrow I'm going to watch for cops before I feed my rabbit!

[apathy maybe]

<wiki>Food Not Bombs</wiki> has often been harassed in this manner.

Here is what their website has to say on the matter, http://www.foodnotbombs.net/fnb_resists.html

I personally think that this oppression is disgusting and has a similar root cause to attacks on other disadvantaged groups in society. Pandering to a certain segment of society who are relatively well off.


Also, interestingly (and to change the topic slightly), RAAN is intended (as I understand it) to be organised on a similar basis to Food Not Bombs. That is, a few basic principles and a loose network based around those principles. Yet for some reason, RAAN are considered a single organisation because they have a single website. Fuck off you ignorant fucking twits&#33;

[Tower of Bebel]

Now that I do some research on vagrancy in France (from 1860 to 1914) I found out that the French government &#39;confused&#39; assistance with repression. One group of needy people got aide while the other group was oppressed by teh State. This is a general tactic that lasted untill the Imperialist War but many countries did the same in different periodes of time. When one group was opressed by the State the repression was just absurde.

I think right now the homeless in the USA are victims of this absurd repression by the State. But this repression is a symptome of the ilness America is confronted with: crisis.

[Tommy-K]

This is ridiculous.

Right-wingers are known to say "Don&#39;t give homeless people money, they&#39;ll spend it on drugs and alcohol. If you have to give them anything, give them food."

But now it appears they&#39;ve condemned that aswell.

It clearly portays their ridiculous, functionalist view that &#39;poverty is an essential structure in society&#39; and that without it &#39;society could potentially collapse.&#39;

Damn functionalists. So misguided.