NOT GUILTY verdict in Homeless Feeding Trial
By John Amato Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 8:36amWhere's the religious right on this one?
It's the first trial of its kind. A man is facing a judge and jury for violating Orlando's ban on feeding the homeless. Eric Montanez, 22, was caught feeding a group in Lake Eola Park earlier this year. The prosecution told Eyewitness News their case rests on video taken of Montanez feeding the homeless, breaking Orlando's feeding ban.
"There are a lot better things for law enforcement to be doing in this town, but this was an outrage," said George Crossley of the ACLU.
And the verdict is in. He's been found innocent:
In the first test of Orlando's controversial ban on feeding groups in public parks, a jury Tuesday found 22 year-old Eric Montanez not guilty of the misdemeanor charge against him. After the verdict, Orange County Judge Steve Jewett praised Montanez for the "important" volunteer work he does feeding the homeless at Lake Eola Park, but cautioned: "you do have to obey the law."
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Who would Jesus Starve?
Was this the first prosecution of a "plate crime?"
The wingnuts want to deny poor people health care, but would they deny them food? I think we know the answer.
These are people, not pigeons. Get a heart!
The judge might wish to read "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Montanez has no moral responsiblility to follow bad law. In fact, he has a moral responsibility not to.
again.... that's why the call it Floriduh
Welcome to a Christian nation......
We are supposed to be feeding Hallibuton, defense contractors, big oil and the right wing war machine. Not homeless Americans.
You know, I have the wierdest image of a man in a park, tossing bread crumbs to crouching homeless. As he's handcuffed and being led off, the policeman is scolding him, telling him he "causes the homeless to depend on humans for food."
It's very wrong, but I snickered.
Patriot Actor @ 7:
You mean the Christian south.
I've heard of "Do not feed the squirrels" and "Do not feed the pigeons," but never "Do not feed the poor, mentally handicapped or homeless." Aren't a large proportion of the homeless veterans? What is Orlando doing to get the homeless off the streets, physical and mental health care, and help getting back on their feet?
You know we have slipped as a community when feeding pigeons is OK but feeding people is not.
I appreciate this guys idealism. I had a similar amount in me when I was 22 but our society tends to slowly beat it out of you as you grow older. They do this by rationalizing away an instinct, to help others, as something that has all kinds of un-intended, un-expected consequences until it sounds perfectly reasonable to throw food away instead of trying to distribute it to the local hungry.
This is an American psychological disorder that needs attention.
MN USA @ 11:
Shipping them to Miami.
Thank goodness!
Everything has been turning a little sour as of late. I'm glad common sense has won out for once.
The religious right cares about fetuses (sp?), not real live people!
You know Disney practically owns Orlando. I wonder if Mickey has any leftovers?
George Crossley? Is this the preacher who was convicted ten years ago for trying to hire somebody to kill his lover's husband?
steve davis @ 5:
Bravo!! You beat me to what I was gonna say!!
Sorry guys, I don't intend to be sarcastic but is this a joke?, since when is a crime feeding the homeless?, what happened to our country?, I know we are a very individualistic bunch (unlike other nations) but if we are going to be told this is prohibited then we're are very very f*** up. Let's not be like the righteous pseudo-christians.
mudshark @ 6:
They have similar laws in LA and other places in the US. The purpose of the law is to make the homeless go somewhere else. It is "exodus by ordinance." It does not work but it sure does make people's lives miserable.
When I was 16 and started working in restaurants, I was mortified to see all the food thrown out at the end of the day. The natural question for somebody who is young and naive is "Why can't you take those to the local shelter?" Of course, they had a perfectly good reason based on money: Liability. Oh and if the employees knew leftovers were free, they could cook too much and take it home.
It's a bunch of crap. There are solutions when the will is there to do something good and reasonable.
John asks: Where's the religious right on this one?
Considering the demographics of the Orlando area, there were probably several religious conservatives on the jury which found Montanez not guilty.
There are similar laws in San Francisco. A group called 'Food Not Bombs' drew complaints during the first Gulf War for their impromptu food handouts.
IIRC, the group tried filing for a permit and were denied.
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Food not Bombs!
http://www.foodnotbombs.net/
Did the judge explain how the good guy should keep up his good work and still obey the IDIOTIC ORDANANCE at the same time?
Seems like he is saying that its okay to jump up, but illegal to come back down....but then, IT IS in FLORIDA, land of the zion folks and other assorted wacko BUSHBOTS, is it not?
Maybe Katy Harris can get Jebby to get the young man sent to Gitmo, because to feed the poor is now aiding the terrists which no doubt makes the "good guy" now an "enemy combatant"!
That's right old gringo. The terrorists get there food from handouts and their money from the sale of drugs!
Remember that Florida is a state primarily ruled by rich, retired plutocrats and hubristic GOP members. They even have park benches equipped with huge barriers to prevent those who might want to lay down from doing so. Tampa has suitcase city, Ft. Lauderdale has people living in bus stops. In Miami, they camp out at the art museum. I suppose starving is better than freezing...?
Curtilingus @ 21:
I worked with a group that back in the 1970's helped get a law passed in Congress which states that is someone gets sick from food given in good faith from a restaraunt or supermarket there can be no liability.
Curtilingus @ 16:
I doubt anybody leaves a crumb behind at the prices he charges for food.
Well, I'm not a Christian, but I'm immediately moved to say, the enforcement of this ordinance is the most un-Christian thing I've heard of this week.
Why don't they make an ordinance requiring the Disney behemoth to build a shelter and cafeteria where the Disney food inventory throw-aways can be prepped and served to the homeless. Actually, all things considered, why isn't Disney doing just that out of the goodness of their pointy little heads?
www.theskinofmyteeth.com
David B.
After the verdict, Orange County Judge Steve Jewett praised Montanez for the “important” volunteer work he does freeing the slaves at Lake Eola Park, but cautioned: “you do have to obey the law.”
Orlando should be ashamed of itself for having that law.
The same ban on feeding the homeless is now in effect in wonderful Palm Beach County where I live. I find these laws to be disgusting and inhumane. Oh and not all of us are floriduhians; I am against this law and I damned sure voted correctly in 2001, it's just to bad that the supreme court annoited King George and all of his madness.
Apparently, he doesn't have to obey that law since, you know, he was found innocent.
Oops I meant 2000, yes a mistake but I still voted correctly!
As Christians (everyone who matters, anyhow), we can't exercise civil disobedience. It is entirely contrary to the teachings of Jesus. He taught that following the law, no matter how stupid it is, is paramount to all else. It takes guts to say Jesus, and it takes guts to starve homeless people.
I hope that man burns in hell for his sins.
Wow, just wow. My first thought was that this had to be Onion material. Along the lines of 'don't feed the animals' signs at the zoo. Wtf? These people are very sick people to make laws banning a human being from trying to help a fellow human being.
Btw, Food not Bombs is a great organization. There is a chapter here in SC where I live. They go to a public park every Sunday to feed massive amounts of homeless people.
SonOfLiberty @ 38:
That would explain his arrest for destroying the market in the temple.
That's excellent xoites, getting a law exempting restaurants from liability passed.
So I guess the boss that told me that was either ill-informed or a liar. But I think a lot of restaurants have the same perception. I'd like to know how many if any supermarkets give out their borderline meat and produce to shelters.
navyswan @ 39:
These laws have been in effect in many cities across the country for over a decade. It is also illegal to ask for help (panhandling) in many places as well.
Same thing happened in Pensacola Florida:
http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071003/...
Curtilingus @ 42:
He was probably just unaware. The law did not pass with a big advertising blitz. :)
SonOfLiberty @ 38:
Chapter and verse, please? If you're going to make a statement like that, I'd like to see some evidence.
Because here I thought Jesus's teachings were about compassion, love and caring for your fellow man above all else. But since I'm not Christian, I guess I and my opinion don't "matter."
Curtilingus @ 42:
I would hazard a guess that occurs only during the yearly (and highly commercially promoted, self congratulatory) food drives. After all, we can't let them starve during winter Holiday shopping season, it might spoil the shopper's appetite for overpriced Chinese crap that ends up in a landfill in 6 months.
xoites defends Constitution @ 43:
I live in Arcata, Northern California. We have a very large homeless presence, probably because there is a lot of compassion (more liberals, fewer evangelicals because the churches do great work here as well). Were so open, I saw a guy yesterday that had a sign out that said "Need money for Pot". That's about as far away from banning pan handling as you can get.
Oh, my God. This makes me think of the "Please Don't Feed the Animals" signs in zoos and parks. What a terrible law!
We had better hope that feeding the homeless isn't illegal, with home foreclosures doubling we just might see a few more un-housed in the near future.
Under this law none of the New Orleans refugees should have been fed, period.
For observant Christians, following the law "love one another" and all it subtexts such as "I was hungry and you fed me" trumps any law of Caesar's. You just have to be willing to suffer whatever you must suffer for it, turning the other cheeck when you do. I'm sure this good man who feeds the homeless will continue to do so. In my hometown, the cops roust the homeless off the streetcorners and we are not supposed to roll down our windows and spare change them, but some folks still do.
I wonder what the trial would've been like if instead of feeding the homeless he was blowing them away with an AK-47?
See The Big Picture @ 46:
I was raised a Catholic. What they never got around to mentioning was Jesus was arrested for throwing the money lenders out of the Temple. If that is not Civil Disobidience i don't know what is. He was Cruxified because he made the local political party nervous about his behavior bringing the wrath of Rome down on his head.
As an aside the whole Romans 13 "Render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's" was once explained to me (by a Priest) as follows. "Ceasar owned the money. His face was on it. It is wordly and he may have it. He may not have your soul."
Curtilingus @ 51:
Shhh... Don't give them any more ideas...
Not that they haven't already instituted a similar approach.
SonOfLiberty @ 38:
Didn't Jesus set aside the old law for the new? At least, that's what my pork-eating, war-supporting, torture-cheering, neocon "Christian" acquaintances tell me. It doesn't take guts to starve homeless people - it takes a lack of conscience.
WWJD?
WWJNOTD.
It is a vile and inhumane law and and as I was at one time homeless with my mother because she was mentally ill, I know how cruel people can be even to a homeless child. This law and the way we treat OUR FELLOW AMERICANS is disgusting! Not every homeless person is looking for a fix.
Let them eat cake.
If Christianity, which the republicans seem to claim a monopoly on, is the religion of charity and giving, why do things like this pass, and SCHIP fail? It's strange that people that are for charity are against government doing it.
See The Big Picture @ 46:
"And Jesus answering said unto them, 'Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' And they marvelled at him."
Mark 12:17
This is debatable about how to obey the laws of the State vs. the law of Religion.
Either that or the ancient Israeli's thought he was Capt. Marvel.
xoites defends Constitution @ 54:
Actually, it was the money changers. He overturned their tables and generally created a ruckus. But the bible typically eschews usury as well.
There was this other guy who was distributing fish and bread, but they crucified him.
Nick @ 59:
The "right" uses Christianity as a weapon. I think if you understand that you instantly recognize them as non Christians.
If the homeless need R&B, the Marines could use a few good men and women
sneer sneer....
The same sort of thing is happening now in West Palm Beach, Fla. A group is feeding the homeless in one area of town at a park one night a week. Recently the powers that be decided they didn't want the homeless people gathering there one night a week so they made it illegal. They say they can feed them but not in that area. Trouble is that is the area where the homeless people are. The group is ignoring the law for now. They are being threatened with tickets and fines if they continue. Hopefully this other Florida case will make the town council critters change their minds.
Nick @ 59:
Republicans are the faux Christians the bible warns about. The kings and the money changers, the preachers who fleece the flocks, the ones who kill in God's name, the false prophets, etc.....
Shannon @ 57:
You are very correct. I have seen statistics that stated that as high as 80% of the homeless are mentally ill. We also have something like 250,000 homeless vets on any given day and that might be a conservative estimate. The idea that the majority of homeless people are drug fiends probably comes from the same place where welfare queens driving shiny caddies comes from.
If they need Disco, they can find it in the Navy
sneer sneer...
Dick Cheney @ 64:
I am certain that was a snark, just the same i would like to point out that most homeless men are Veterans.
Where's James Dobson now? Why haven't he and D. James Kennedy of Christian America weighed in on this atrocity?
Well, Dick,
Let us hope you end up homeless and used as target practice BY the Marines.
Why do the Christians hate Jesus?
xoites defends Constitution @ 69:
It was, and I agree. This law is another reason to boycott Orlando.
Dr. Know @ 71:
Lets go dove hunting :)
Dr. Know @ 61:
It is interesting that you brought up usury. My husband is in a geopolitics class and the subject of Islam and usury came up. Apparently, in the ME and in Iraq in particular, usury was still against the law. One of the first things that Bremer did was get rid of usury laws, even though usury is looked down upon in Islam.
Dick Cheney @ 73:
Republican spin: they're phony veterans.
Actual Marcus there are a lot of Christian churches out there offering more support services for the homeless than anyone else. At least that's the case in my community. It seems to be the neo-con evangelicals that would operate under the guise of religion and not help the homeless.
The jury should have absolutely found the defendant guilty and then fined him the absolute minimum (nothing if possible). The concept of civil disobedience and jury nulification both require that the jury display its disgust with the law by following it by minimalizing it to the point of mockery. This is what worked in the Scopes Trial and other cases where the defendant clearly was literally guilty. To find him not guilty is an abuse of due process as much as the charge is trivial.
Hey I have a new city motto...
"Orlando, the hungriest place on earth!"
symphonyofdissent @ 78:
I see your point but i disagree. In this case Civil Disobiedience was practiced by the jury as well.
I wonder if the Just Us Department will appeal?
Curtilingus @ 77:
Definitely the Neocons (although, I don't see much feeding of poor blacks by rich whites, down south. Must be the Neocons and the Born-again, Moral Majority, faux-Christianistas).
I thought about the feds going after him but he can be tried again can he?
Dick Cheney @ 74:
Better yet, (and since I knew you were being snarky), let's go to DC and do some huntin'.
symphonyofdissent @ 78:
How about community service in the form of delivering food to the homeless?
A $50 SUV tax in Orange County would easily keep the service afloat for years.
The problem with feeding feral people is they live to reproduce and then where will we be?!?
CafeenMan @ 85:
But notice you don't get arrested for feeding feral cats. And now look where we are.!.
I think the problem in West Palm Beach is that the richie-rich didn't like looking at the poor and hungry people, so they want them to gather out of their sight. That wasn't the reason they gave but it sure appeared to be the reason.
navyswan @ 75:
I believe that is correct. But they don't live in our blister-packed, dime store economy. How would we all live without title pawns, credit cards, and payday advance shops? I mean, really...
(Are you at Mayport?)
CafeenMan @ 85:
When i was 17 i went to work in a soup kitchen. The first person i had a chance to go in depth with about why he was on the street was a man who had had his own business. He killed his wife and son and daughter in a car accident.
I think the word "feral" would be great if we found these people out in the wilderness. We don't. We find them in our communities. They are the people who have fought our wars for us. They are the people who would be our nieghbors except for something in their lives has occured and except for we live in a broken society that thinks (among other things) that 12 year olds do not need health care.
pissed off patricia @ 87:
It's not just the richie rich. The ordinances are everywhere now. If you want to get psychological about it, I believe it stems from a person's fear that they may become homeless one day, and they don't want to be reminded of it.
blogenfreude @ 3:
Now juxtapose this on the Graeme Frost issue. The wingnuts think because the family has a home, they shouldn't get assistance on health care. See, only the homeless need help.
Then, examine how they would help the Frosts if they *were* homeless. They'd want to arrest people who help them. See how it all works. Compassion!
Isaac @ 31:
Good idea. Main Street USA would look a lot more realistic with a few homeless guys shuffling around.
gex @ 91:
Exactly.
Dr. Know @ 88:
No, I am not in Mayport.
"After the verdict, Orange County Judge Steve Jewett praised Montanez for the “important” volunteer work he does feeding the homeless at Lake Eola Park, but cautioned: “you do have to obey the law.”"
actually, judge jewett no, you don't have to obey that law. and the jury used it's own right to over rule both your instructions to follow the law in making it's ruling of innocent, and also of disgreguarding the orlando city councils' enactment of the law as invalid.
in short they used their power of jury nullification to grasp power where it really lies in our justice system, with the jury.
be very careful how you apply, speak of, or understand the concept of jury nullification if you intend to practice it while on a jury as judges take a very dim view of it. they are powerless to stop you if you exhibit no overt knowledge of the concept publicly as in say stating your intent to exercise that right to the judge during jury selection.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification
peaceful easy feeling @ 22:
As wells as the council that passed the law, and the PD that arrested the guy...
Everyone knows that if you don't feed them they will go away, just ask Rudy. If that doesn't work you have the police beat them and drive them to the city limits and dump them thereby making them someone else's statistic. That's the way you clen up New York City, I mean Orlando.
A good third of the homeless I meet are Vets. And historically, 3 to 8 percent of the population is homeless even during economic upturns. As a modern, compassionate society, shouldn't this be dealt with on a permanant basis? For many, all it takes is a divorce, a car accident and an unruly insurance company, a death in the family, alcoholism, or even depression to render one "homeless".
What happened to the bromide, "There but for the grace of God go I."
Is florida in bizarro land that they prosecute people for trying to help homeless hungry poor people?
steve davis @ 5:
Well said--and "Letter from A Birmingham Jail" does indeed provide us with the justification to do what is right and fair here.
This could only happen in the f*cked up redstate like Florida.
Dr. Know @ 98:
It got changed to: If god didn't love me more than he does you, I wouldn't be on top, and you wouldn't be on the bottom.
They probably wouldn't have bothered him if he was giving guns to the homeless instead of food. Kinda ironic. I guess we need a new amendment for the right to bear food.
Marcus Aurelius @ 102:
Good God Doctor.
Update.
The day after the verdict, He was out feeding the homeless again. If you feed more then 25 people you have to have a permit and I think thats what caused him to be arrested. So he and 3 or 4 others went out and feed the homeless yesterday, each taking a group of people and therefore not exceeding 25 people. In all they feed I believe around 50-100 people I cant remember the news report last night. Response from the cops if they would bother him again, they said they had better things to do, but would enforce the ordance from time to time.
MargeAggedon @ 99:
No, the US. This is not an isolated incident.
Las Vegas marshals ticket 7, arrest 3 amid homeless protests
I had to reread that headline like three times. I kept trying to think the word, "beating," instead of feeding. I used to call this category of news, "World's Going to Hell in a Hand Basket."
Dr. Know @ 98:
It's been bastardized by the xian fascists to "There but for the grace of God go I, which proves that I'm among the chosen elite so fuck anyone whose not a member of my club."
Matthew 25:31-46 "And the Lord God said the kingdom of heaven is for you who fed me when I was hungry, gave me shelter when I had not, clothed me when I was naked. Those of you who did nothing are cast into hell"
Florida is going to hell.
I bet the folks who wrote that law fancy themselves to be upright, godly people one and all. Good reason to boycott the city and its attractions. What's that line from the song (was it from Jesus Christ, Superstar?),sung with a disdainful sneer:
"What's this manner of broken man,
cluttering up my doorway?.."
Marcus Aurelius @ 102:
Essentially. I hear cleansed versions of your depiction from various "anointed ones". They could well be in for an alarming future. Seems many of them road the coat-tails of the GOP to arrive at their current level of relished comfort - chicanery and cronyism is funny like that. The changing fortunes of time may have them eating crow sooner than they would like. Or would that be pigeons...
Naa... who am I kidding...
Yellow Elephant Safari @ 108:
Interesting you chose the term elite. Although largely a Protestant concept this smacks both of Calvinism and Jansenism with their elite v the Damned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvIzH_dSKow
What do you expect in a country where health insurance companies deny healthcare so they can make larger profits and let people die needlessly. Did Jesus charge for his services?
Homeless in Orlando?
Will this traumatize the tourists visiting Disney? I mean, seeing actual real life homeless can so ruin their happy Disney experience.
Homeless are so un-Disney like.
Chris @ 114:
Groan. ;-) Yea, they're bad for the bottom line. People might actually stop to think about something besides Britany for a change...
a person @ 36:
And when he feeds them again, they could issue him another ticket and try him again. Different incident.
Similar to any other violation. When you're found innocent there is no penalty. But if you do the same violation again, then you start over. Like speeding.
And so on, and so on and so on.
The law has to be revoked or found unconstitutional.
ysbaddaden @ 112:
Interesting reference. And an odd, yet timely choice of videos. Considering the roomymate just left for the weekend. Creepy...
jr @ 34:
Orlando has far more than that to be ashamed of.
Whoohoo! First time in a long time I got on the net and started out with a story of hope. Eric Montanez, you rock.
BDIII @ 118:
Yea I was just there in January last year. The best thing I saw was the space center and that's not even in Orlando.
Don't Go.
To Orlando.
Chris @ 116:
exactly, it's the constant application of jury nullification however that provides the goad to the legislature/city council to revisit, modify, reverse, or otherwise do away with an unenforceable law when they find jurys will repeatably not convict.
it's one of the least known of, but most powerful tools a u.s. citizen has to effectively influence justice and public policy.
Curtilingus @ 120:
;-) I've lived all over Florida, but only lasted a couple weeks in Orlando. Not really my kind of place, thanks.
This is a joke, right? An Onion column? A law against feeding people? Unfuckingbelievable.
Dr. Matt @ 101:
We Floridians don't have a lock on fucked up stuff. But we do it better than anyone else.
I work in a county where there is only one homeless shelter. They only take men. To stay at the shelter you have to go to their Christian services every night or they throw you out.
There is no shelter for women or children. If there is it's a great secret because I've asked law enforcement about it many times and they say we need to send people to the next county to find a shelter.
CafeenMan @ 124:
Irresistibly quotable.
sassafra @ 121:
That assumes the judge doesn't "instruct the jury", or that he ever lets it GET to a jury in the first place. There is some outrageous conduct occuring in many Superior Courts these days. And Florida has some real zingers...
SonOfLiberty @ 38:
Jesus, if the Gospels are a historical source, spoke up for the oppressed not the Pharisees, and he said that he came to surpass the law. He also said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's, which most genuine believers would say is love. The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength, AND to love your neighbor as yourself. He said that we are obligated to do the opposite of what you say always but that we may not be successful in this life. It takes guts to say Jesus, but it takes nuts to starve homeless people.
Dr. Know @ 117:
Go rent the Roman Polanski movie Repulsion, one of my faves.
steve davis @ 5:
The best comment and the best advice.
[...] i guess i wasn’t. [...]
Florida ??? you can feed pigeons but not people, how humane of them.
I'll go along with Steve Davis at number 5
ysbaddaden @ 128:
It's queued up, thanks. I may have seen it, but it would have been a long while.
Perhaps I'll go out and drink beer all weekend... ;-)
Dr. Know @ 132:
Then that would be Weekend at Bernie's, or Animal House.
ysbaddaden @ 133:
Yea, been there, done that. ;-)
I'm trying to remember, wasn't the babe in Repulsion sexually abused by a family member, and her subsequent paranoid delusions caused by her fear, mistrust, and loathing of men?
Wow, this is RIDICULOUS! Who enacted this ordinance? THEY'RE the ones who should be in court.
I'm glad Montanez was found not guilty, but this ordinance should be repealed, or whatever they do to get rid of ordinances.
local business owners were complaining about the homeless who were congregating there for food... they were concerned about their customers being harassed by panhandlers... there was also mention of the homeless' tendency to urinate in the bushes... but to be a upper-middle class individual on a local government body and to vote to take food out of the mouths of the disadvantaged is unconscionable...
What kind of a hell-hole is Orlando, that they would have such a law? Oh, poor businesses! I feel SO sorry for them.
Jesus F-ing Christ! Orlando must be a town of Satan-worshippers.
And for those of you who feel sorry for the poor businesses that have to put up with the homeless, urinating in public or panhandling, I say BULLSH*T. If the freaks had a brain at all, they could fix this problem. It is easy.
Dr. Know @ 134:
They never seemed to give any reason for the breakdown, some might call this a flaw in the movie. Once here roomie leaves everything that happens to her, may or may not have happened due to her delusions.
Roseburg, Oregon just pass a ban on panhandling on the street/road. This city has one of the larger VA hospital in the state. Someone mention that Veteran are the largest group of homeless. Another sign moving toward Fascist much like Hitler in Germany.
First the sexual deviants, and then the homeless, and cue music for the sympathizers. This fascist regime is so predictable!
There it is. the answer to the question "what is wrong when capitalism becomes all important?"
when there is a law in the united states of america that says we would rather see people be denied the right to life than to bypass our capitalist corporate fucks, or goodness forbid, feel a little uncomfortable watching them get fed, and knowing we are too busy to do it ourselves. I think more everyday I am less and less happy to be an american.
Syrians took in a million and a half Iraqi refugees into their country for which they are feeding and housing.
While an American was being arrested for feeding the homeless.
I miss my America!
carlos @ 17:
Same one. I did a double take when I saw him on the local news about a year ago with the ACLU title under his name.
Orlando...no sense beating around the bush about how little you care. Here are some other, more productive suggestions for you:
Slaves. Clean them up and sell them as slaves. Surely there's some good profit to be made here.
Medical experiments. Why use rats when you can use homeless people?
Televise homeless executions for good ratings and profits, not to mention some great exposure for Orlando.
Road/highway development. Grind up the homeless and mix them with tar for soft smooth roads. Save money because you'd use less tar.
Parachute testing. Wouldn't want a rich tourist to die, and hence never return to spend his cash in Orlando.
Shark bait. For countries who could use homeless people chum to lure sharks away from popular tourist spots. Extra cash for Orlando.
Alternative Energy Source. Just think of how much energy can be created via a few thousand homeless people forced to run on energy-generating treadmills. Toss em on building tops and people wont even see them!
Military Use. IED detection, moving target practice, hand to hand combat etc
Police Education. What better way for the Orlando police to display to new recruits what constitutes excessive force? Or the effects of pepper spray, tazers etc.
No true Christian would make a law that forbids feeding the hungry, and no true Christian would enforce such a law.
I think there are a lot of people who call themselves Christians and maybe even think they are Christians who are nothing at all like Christians.
(That said, I don't know how this post became the 'snipe at Christians post. Christians give more to charity, including homeless charities, than any other group in the US or Canada.)
I'm embarrassed to live in Orlando.
NOT GUILTY verdict in Homeless Feeding Trial
In the first test of Orlando's controversial ban on feeding groups in public parks, a jury Tuesday found 22 year-old Eric Montanez not guilty of the misdemeanor charge against him. After the verdict, Orange County Judge Steve Jewett praised Montanez f...
breaking Orlando’s feeding ban... breaking Orlando’s feeding ban??????
WTF-kinda shit is this? I swear (much of) your country HAS GONE to hell. My how things change!!
Does anyone know where this is from?:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
DecemberistsPlan @ 145:
Can't say I blame you.
There's another side to this story that C & L is conveniently omitting. I am liberal, but I'm really getting tired of the liberal media cherry-picking stories just like the Republicans. It does NOT serve the best interests of this country to have the entire press churning out misleading partisan crap.
Try spending some time in any city in this country that has a large homeless population. These people are often dangerous and they degrade the environment and the quality of life for all people in those cities.
There are solutions to the homeless problem, but allowing people to live on public and private spaces, which they trash with garbage, human feces and urine, and where they threaten people who are trying to go to work is not the answer.
Even San Francisco is rethinking their policiy of tolerance toward the homeless.
John Koetsier @ 144:
You are mistaken. Check the statistics. They do not give more to charities. The Red states show a serious deficiency in charitable donations.
Furthermore, if Christians do give to charities, there's an agenda. They give to groups or people they're trying to convert. Do you imagine that Christians would give one penny to a group that is liberal? What's more, Christians receive billions of our tax dollars from the unConstitutional FAITH BASED INITIATIVE. If you've looked at government reports, you know that's true. So the money they give to charity is the public funds that ALL Americans contribute.
Christians in America have traded Christ's teachings for the orthodoxy of the Neo-Con Manifesto.
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