by Christina Sarich
Even churches are shooing homeless away
In 2012, Houston, Texas passed a law that would fine anyone giving food to to more than five people in public. Just recently, a 90-year old man was arrested for trying to feed some homeless people in his city. The homeless are increasingly being treated like lepers, with city ordinances that make helping them punishable with jail time. Churches are even spraying homeless people with freezing cold water when they linger in their alcoves.
Please sign the petition to force the city of Houston to rescind their ban on feeding the homeless, and if you live in a city that practices similar abhorrent behavior toward those who are down on their luck, please write, call, or email your representatives.
“Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has announced a ban on the feeding of large numbers of homeless and hungry people at sites on and near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Mayor Nutter is imposing the ban on all outdoor feedings of large numbers of people on city parkland, including Love Park and the Ben Franklin Parkway, where it is not uncommon for outreach groups to offer free food.
Nutter says the feedings lack both sanitary conditions and dignity.”
Or how about this story from Orlando, Florida?
“Over the past week, twelve members of food activist group Food Not Bombs have been arrested in Orlando for giving free food to groups of homeless people in a downtown park. They were acting in defiance of a controversial city ordinance that mandates permits for groups distributing food to large groups in parks within two miles of City Hall. Each group is allowed only two permits per park per year; Food Not Bombs has already exceeded their limit. They set up their meatless buffet in Lake Eola knowing that they would likely be arrested as a result.”
Even the homeless are kind enough to help other homeless people. Why then, can’t city officials support these gregarious acts? Anthony Gucciardi recently was inspired to donate $2000 to feed homeless people directly due to these egregious laws against the down-trodden. The least we can do is tell city officials that we don’t agree with their backwards attitudes toward those who don’t have the means to pay inflated rental prices or afford a mortgage.
Which of the homeless today, after all, are the backwash of big bank bailouts? Or of the stock market bubble crashing a few years back, causing retirees to go to work at McDonald’s? Which of the homeless are retired veterans who gave their lives to support their countries only to come home and find out they were false flag events arranged by a corrupt government?
Feeding the homeless has been banned in major cities all over the US at a time when poverty and government dependence are soaring to unprecedented levels. Is it really a good idea to ban people from helping those that are hurting when our country has seen so much economic hardship?
Christina Sarich is a humanitarian and freelance writer helping you to Wake up Your Sleepy Little Head, and See the Big Picture. Her blog is Yoga for the New World. Her latest book is Pharma Sutra: Healing the Body And Mind Through the Art of Yoga.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read article here: http://naturalsociety.com/help-stop-laws-that-make-feeding-homeless-illegal/
TLB recommends you visit Natural Society for more great/pertinent articles.
For your convenience you may sign the petition HERE through change.org
Leave a Reply