3 arrested for feeding homeless

[booley]

One would think giving food would be less controversial then giving money. But then I doubt the welfare of human beings was really at the heart of this ordinance.

Members of Orlando Food Not Bombs were arrested Wednesday when police said they violated a city ordinance by feeding the homeless in Lake Eola Park.

Jessica Cross, 24, Benjamin Markeson, 49, and Jonathan "Keith" McHenry, 54, were arrested at 6:10 p.m. on a charge of violating the ordinance restricting group feedings in public parks. McHenry is a co-founder of the national Food Not Bombs movement, which began in the early 1980s.

The group lost a court battle in April, clearing the way for the city to enforce the ordinance. It requires groups to obtain a permit and limits each group to two permits per year for each park within a 2-mile radius of City Hall.

Arrest papers state that Cross, Markeson and McHenry helped feed 40 people Wednesday night. The ordinance applies to feedings of more than 25 people.

"They intentionally violated the statute," said Lt. Barbara Jones, an Orlando police spokeswoman.

"They basically carted them off to jail for feeding hungry people," Coleman said. "For them to regulate a time and place for free speech and to share food, that is unacceptable."

www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/os-homeless-feedings-arrests-20110601,0,7226362.story

[Mlle Antéchrist]

What the fuck?

[Shane for Wax]

Orlando... Florida?

Oh, it's Florida being Florida again.

*shakes head*

[Mantorok]

I can understand why they require a permit (just imagine if someone got food poisoning), but I don't understand the need to place any limit on the number of permits.

[Damen]

Do not walk on the grass.
Pick up after your pets.
Do not feed the ducks or the homeless.
Dogs must be leashed at all times.

[dasfuchs]

I can understand the issue. I'm sure some sick fuck in the past got off on giving bad or laced food to the homeless. I'm kinda mixed on it...

[DeadpanDoubter]

Jun 2, 2011 6:24:03 GMT -5 Mantorok said:

I can understand why they require a permit (just imagine if someone got food poisoning), but I don't understand the need to place any limit on the number of permits.

This. I mean, how DARE they try to legally, safely feed homeless in more than two parks a year?!

[chad sexington]

"Homeless people are like animals: if you give them food, you'll encourage them to come around"
Yes, people have gone on record as saying this only recently.

[Kit Walker]

As heartless as it sounds, I can see where the city might have a viable interest in discouraging the homeless from living in the city parks instead of, say, shelters.

[booley]

Jun 2, 2011 9:55:34 GMT -5 Kit Walker said:

As heartless as it sounds, I can see where the city might have a viable interest in discouraging the homeless from living in the city parks instead of, say, shelters.

Funny you should say bring that up...

The state's homelessness coordinator is discouraging churches and charitable organizations from delivering meals to the homeless where they live, saying it offers little incentive for them to get into shelters and housing.

"What we found is that those practices are not necessarily helpful when delivered in that way," he told reporters Monday.

But River of Life Mission's general manager Merrie-Susan Marchant thinks it's a bad idea to advise groups against feeding the homeless in parks and on the street.

.......
"We didn't just go and offer food, then they showed up. They were already there. So our response as a compassionate community is to respond to hungry people," said Rev. Sky St. John of Unity Church of Hawaii.

www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/14673113/controversy-over-call-to-stop-feeding-homeless-in-parks

My issue with this is that homeless may not even be aware that where shelters are until somebody comes to them and what if, as happens in many places, the shelters are full?

Again, these things seem less about helping the homeless and more about keeping them out of sight. (when I lived in cordoba near san diego, it was official policy to drive anybody who looked homeless over the bridge to San Diego so as to not scare the tourists)

[foolishwisdom]

Out of sight, out of mind. A perfect way to describe people who such laws.

[Iosa the Invincible]

Jun 2, 2011 9:32:44 GMT -5 chad sexington said:

"Homeless people are like animals: if you give them food, you'll encourage them to come around"
Yes, people have gone on record as saying this only recently.

As Jesus once said: "Fuck the poor and homeless, for they are lazy welfare queens who just don't want to work. You'll never see me amongst their presence."

[Dragon Zachski]

I can understand the need for a license, as it could encourage quality control of the food.

Limiting the amount of people who can be fed per license, however, is just stupid.

In this case, it's quite clear that the point of the license is not to encourage quality control of food, but to limit the amount of food that can be given to the homeless and the hungry.

[Shane for Wax]

I think in this kind of case it's safe to say it isn't about the safety.

[m52nickerson]

Jun 2, 2011 15:51:00 GMT -5 Shane for Wax said:

I think in this kind of case it's safe to say it isn't about the safety.

This case is not about saftey. It is about the well-to-do people who live near Lake Eola not wanting the homeless there.