It's Illegal to Feed the Homeless in Florida... WTF?

[My Name Was Taken]

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/05/feeding-homeless-arrests/18529709/

TL;DR A 90-year-old man who runs a non-profit dedicated to helping homeless people was arrested in Fort Lauderdale for violating a new ordinance that makes giving food to homeless people illegal. He faces 6 months in prison and a $500 fine.

It baffles me how a 'republican' state like Florida allows the passage of a law making private charity to the homeless illegal, but republicans are constantly up in arms about the government giving handouts to poor people and how the poor are just leeches on the productive members of society. If private charities want to help people, don't make it illegal.

This law is bullshit.

[deepestfear]

It's been making the rounds on my FB newsfeed
insane, one of the many reasons why the US baffles so many of us....

[Gronthaing]

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/05/feeding-homeless-arrests/18529709/

TL;DR A 90-year-old man who runs a non-profit dedicated to helping homeless people was arrested in Fort Lauderdale for violating a new ordinance that makes giving food to homeless people illegal. He faces 6 months in prison and a $500 fine.

It baffles me how a 'republican' state like Florida allows the passage of a law making private charity to the homeless illegal, but republicans are constantly up in arms about the government giving handouts to poor people and how the poor are just leeches on the productive members of society. If private charities want to help people, don't make it illegal.

This law is bullshit.

It doesn't make it illegal to feed the homeless. It imposes some restrictions on how and where you can do it. But even then, I agree that this makes little sense, and the way it was enforced makes it even worse. Guess the police have nothing better to do than going after the dangerous 90 year old pastor that feeds the homeless. By the way, why create another thread for this story? There are already 2 or 3 others.

[stevegreer]

It baffles me how a 'republican' state like Florida allows the passage of a law making private charity to the homeless illegal, but republicans are constantly up in arms about the government giving handouts to poor people and how the poor are just leeches on the productive members of society. If private charities want to help people, don't make it illegal.

This law is bullshit.

It baffles me how you immediately turn this into something political. The article says the people violated a city ordinance which "bans the public sharing of food." Is this a passive-aggressive way of stopping people from feeding the homeless? Maybe. But it has nothing to do with Republicans, especially considering the mayor of Ft. Lauderdale is a Democrat (not to mention one who opposes same-sex marriage... Uh Oh! http://www.browardbeat.com/fort-lauderdale-mayor-harmed-by-anti-lgbt-vote/).

[DhaniBoy]

helping others is a virtue, especially to help people who really need it, why it is considered a criminal and should be imprisoned for such acts, man was created to complement each other, man was created with the advantages and disadvantages of each, with the advantages and the shortage is expected to man can be complementary, rather than mutually between one and despise the other.

States should facilitate citizens who wanted to help his brother, I think the state was supposed to be a very active role to help the homeless in the country, for example by making laws to help the homeless, help the more I agree, if not in money, but help the more to aid training to hone their skills so that they can get a decent job ... 

[My Name Was Taken]

It baffles me how a 'republican' state like Florida allows the passage of a law making private charity to the homeless illegal, but republicans are constantly up in arms about the government giving handouts to poor people and how the poor are just leeches on the productive members of society. If private charities want to help people, don't make it illegal.

This law is bullshit.

It baffles me how you immediately turn this into something political. The article says the people violated a city ordinance which "bans the public sharing of food." Is this a passive-aggressive way of stopping people from feeding the homeless? Maybe. But it has nothing to do with Republicans, especially considering the mayor of Ft. Lauderdale is a Democrat (not to mention one who opposes same-sex marriage... Uh Oh! http://www.browardbeat.com/fort-lauderdale-mayor-harmed-by-anti-lgbt-vote/).

Can't share food in public, what do you think this sis, a free country? if you think this ordinance is about sharing food and not criminalizing homelessness, you're a bit naive not to see the politics of it. 

[deluxeCITY]

It baffles me how a 'republican' state like Florida allows the passage of a law making private charity to the homeless illegal, but republicans are constantly up in arms about the government giving handouts to poor people and how the poor are just leeches on the productive members of society. If private charities want to help people, don't make it illegal.

This law is bullshit.

It baffles me how you immediately turn this into something political. The article says the people violated a city ordinance which "bans the public sharing of food." Is this a passive-aggressive way of stopping people from feeding the homeless? Maybe. But it has nothing to do with Republicans, especially considering the mayor of Ft. Lauderdale is a Democrat (not to mention one who opposes same-sex marriage... Uh Oh! http://www.browardbeat.com/fort-lauderdale-mayor-harmed-by-anti-lgbt-vote/).

Can't share food in public, what do you think this sis, a free country? if you think this ordinance is about sharing food and not criminalizing homelessness, you're a bit naive not to see the politics of it. 

The law is not about sharing food in public, it is about distributing it in a way that people assume it is safe to consume. There are regulations regarding the distribution of food in order to help keep consumers safe from food borne illnesses that can be very harmful and that consumers have little other way to protect themselves against

[xhomerx10]

Wait a minute here...
 The police didn't break his arm, drop kick or tazer him?  He's not in a coma fighting for his life?  This has to be a phony story.

[brian_23452]

It baffles me how a 'republican' state like Florida allows the passage of a law making private charity to the homeless illegal, but republicans are constantly up in arms about the government giving handouts to poor people and how the poor are just leeches on the productive members of society. If private charities want to help people, don't make it illegal.

This law is bullshit.

It baffles me how you immediately turn this into something political. The article says the people violated a city ordinance which "bans the public sharing of food." Is this a passive-aggressive way of stopping people from feeding the homeless? Maybe. But it has nothing to do with Republicans, especially considering the mayor of Ft. Lauderdale is a Democrat (not to mention one who opposes same-sex marriage... Uh Oh! http://www.browardbeat.com/fort-lauderdale-mayor-harmed-by-anti-lgbt-vote/).

Can't share food in public, what do you think this sis, a free country? if you think this ordinance is about sharing food and not criminalizing homelessness, you're a bit naive not to see the politics of it. 

The law is not about sharing food in public, it is about distributing it in a way that people assume it is safe to consume. There are regulations regarding the distribution of food in order to help keep consumers safe from food borne illnesses that can be very harmful and that consumers have little other way to protect themselves against

Oh please, that's a bunch of bullshit.  The whole purpose of the law, just like the ones making it illegal for homeless people to congregate in certain places at certain times, is that if we make it difficult\impossible for them to eat or sleep here, they will go somewhere else.  That is the only purpose of the law, get the homeless people to go somewhere else since it would be politically untenable to simply kill them.

[Gronthaing]

The law is not about sharing food in public, it is about distributing it in a way that people assume it is safe to consume. There are regulations regarding the distribution of food in order to help keep consumers safe from food borne illnesses that can be very harmful and that consumers have little other way to protect themselves against

These regulations obviously affect the homeless disproportionately more than anyone else. Besides, you know what else can be very harmful for these "consumers"? Not eating.

[xhomerx10]

It baffles me how a 'republican' state like Florida allows the passage of a law making private charity to the homeless illegal, but republicans are constantly up in arms about the government giving handouts to poor people and how the poor are just leeches on the productive members of society. If private charities want to help people, don't make it illegal.

This law is bullshit.

It baffles me how you immediately turn this into something political. The article says the people violated a city ordinance which "bans the public sharing of food." Is this a passive-aggressive way of stopping people from feeding the homeless? Maybe. But it has nothing to do with Republicans, especially considering the mayor of Ft. Lauderdale is a Democrat (not to mention one who opposes same-sex marriage... Uh Oh! http://www.browardbeat.com/fort-lauderdale-mayor-harmed-by-anti-lgbt-vote/).

Can't share food in public, what do you think this sis, a free country? if you think this ordinance is about sharing food and not criminalizing homelessness, you're a bit naive not to see the politics of it. 

The law is not about sharing food in public, it is about distributing it in a way that people assume it is safe to consume. There are regulations regarding the distribution of food in order to help keep consumers safe from food borne illnesses that can be very harmful and that consumers have little other way to protect themselves against

Oh please, that's a bunch of bullshit.  The whole purpose of the law, just like the ones making it illegal for homeless people to congregate in certain places at certain times, is that if we make it difficult\impossible for them to eat or sleep here, they will go somewhere else.  That is the only purpose of the law, get the homeless people to go somewhere else since it would be politically untenable to simply kill them.

 Politically untenable?  I would have thought morally, legally or even perhaps spiritually but politically?

[brian_23452]

It baffles me how a 'republican' state like Florida allows the passage of a law making private charity to the homeless illegal, but republicans are constantly up in arms about the government giving handouts to poor people and how the poor are just leeches on the productive members of society. If private charities want to help people, don't make it illegal.

This law is bullshit.

It baffles me how you immediately turn this into something political. The article says the people violated a city ordinance which "bans the public sharing of food." Is this a passive-aggressive way of stopping people from feeding the homeless? Maybe. But it has nothing to do with Republicans, especially considering the mayor of Ft. Lauderdale is a Democrat (not to mention one who opposes same-sex marriage... Uh Oh! http://www.browardbeat.com/fort-lauderdale-mayor-harmed-by-anti-lgbt-vote/).

Can't share food in public, what do you think this sis, a free country? if you think this ordinance is about sharing food and not criminalizing homelessness, you're a bit naive not to see the politics of it. 

The law is not about sharing food in public, it is about distributing it in a way that people assume it is safe to consume. There are regulations regarding the distribution of food in order to help keep consumers safe from food borne illnesses that can be very harmful and that consumers have little other way to protect themselves against

Oh please, that's a bunch of bullshit.  The whole purpose of the law, just like the ones making it illegal for homeless people to congregate in certain places at certain times, is that if we make it difficult\impossible for them to eat or sleep here, they will go somewhere else.  That is the only purpose of the law, get the homeless people to go somewhere else since it would be politically untenable to simply kill them.

 Politically untenable?  I would have thought morally, legally or even perhaps spiritually but politically?

Politically in that laws are passed by politicians.  Morally:   Obviously, if you are find taking food from a starving person you don't care about morals.  Legal:  Well if you pass a law, then it is obviously legal.  Spiritually:  I don't think that enters into their thought process. 
To clarify what I meant, obviously killing them was an exaggeration, passing these types of laws are "good" for a politician because they "solve" the homeless problem (look see?  There are no more homeless people hanging around in our town).  But, they don't do so in an unpopular way;  we aren't saying it is illegal to be poor (that would cost us votes), we say we are doing it for safety or some other such reason.

[TheIrishman]

I posted about this on one of my own forums and an American friend posted this image she found:

[btckold24]

wow another reason to not live in florida.... Thats the most insane law I have heard of

[Swordsoffreedom]

Some of the bylaws cities and states create in the US are just plain weird.
The homeless people ban is one of them, but I like the beach party comparison ^^.

[junglecat]

It's illegal to run a lemonade stand or garage sale in some states in the USA without a permit (tax stamp) so why they going to let you feed the homeless and lose tax income? 

[Gronthaing]

wow another reason to not live in florida.... Thats the most insane law I have heard of

Some of the bylaws cities and states create in the US are just plain weird.
The homeless people ban is one of them, but I like the beach party comparison ^^.

I don't know about laws, but stuff similar to this doesn't happen only in Florida. Wasn't it in the UK that some people started installing anti-homeless spikes on the ground outside the buildings? And something like it was going on in Chicago as well.

[picolo]

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/05/feeding-homeless-arrests/18529709/

TL;DR A 90-year-old man who runs a non-profit dedicated to helping homeless people was arrested in Fort Lauderdale for violating a new ordinance that makes giving food to homeless people illegal. He faces 6 months in prison and a $500 fine.

It baffles me how a 'republican' state like Florida allows the passage of a law making private charity to the homeless illegal, but republicans are constantly up in arms about the government giving handouts to poor people and how the poor are just leeches on the productive members of society. If private charities want to help people, don't make it illegal.

This law is bullshit.

It looks like a new example of too much regulation

[axxo]

The details are complicated. The issue boils down to politicians not wanting competition. If they allow private groups or individuals to prove they can care for those in need, it makes it harder to argue the government is needed for that purpose.

[bluemountain]

wow another reason to not live in florida.... Thats the most insane law I have heard of

Some of the bylaws cities and states create in the US are just plain weird.
The homeless people ban is one of them, but I like the beach party comparison ^^.

I don't know about laws, but stuff similar to this doesn't happen only in Florida. Wasn't it in the UK that some people started installing anti-homeless spikes on the ground outside the buildings? And something like it was going on in Chicago as well.

There are similar "spikes" under bridges and benches are designed so it is not possible to sleep on them in many cities across the US. These kinds of things are going to give people incentives to get "off the street"