It Is Illegal In 22 Cities To Feed The Homeless. WHY?

Thanksgiving has just recently passed, and for many people Thanksgiving isn't just a time for family, friends, and the other typical values, but also a time for volunteering.

Despite this, many city's legislative departments seem stuck on making it near-impossible for volunteer groups to feed and help the less-fortunate, a number which is not going away.

Why would anyone do something like this, though? This statement from the Commissioner in Fort Lauderdale (the most recent city to pass this sort of legislation) might give you an explanation as to why:

“the City of Fort Lauderdale has a substantial interest in the revitalization, preservation of property values and the prevention of the deterioration in its downtown.”

Sigh.

Isn't that the motivation to not letting the number grow in the first place? Their answer to the problem of having enough lower-class, homeless citizens to lower the value of their property, is to make available, provided help for them illegal.

Naturally, the police aren't able to enforce this kind of law when the citizens demand otherwise, and that has become rather apparent. Among the many citizens who have been arrested in defiance of the new law, was 90-year-old volunteer Arnold Abbott. Once the police showed up to his volunteer station, they ordered him to "drop that plate". The man refused, and is now facing up to 60 days in prison and fines of up to $500.00.

This kind of law is short-sighted at best, and when you have 90-year-old volunteers refusing to comply with local police, the illustration shouldn't be far from understandable. I, for one, will gladly voice my opinion against this sort of ignorance.

That's all I have for today, but I'll be back again tomorrow.

"Of all the words of Mice and Men, the saddest are 'It might have been.'" -Kurt Vonnegut