No feeding of homeless (in parks)

Orlando, FL, USA

Officials of the city of Orlando, Florida, USA, have banned charitable groups from feeding the homeless in parks downtown, arguing that transients who gather for weekly meals create safety and sanitary problems for businesses.

The measure approved Monday prevents serving large groups in parks and other public property within 2 miles of City Hall without a one-time permit. The American Civil Liberties Union vowed to sue, saying it's a superficial fix that ignores the city's homeless problem.

A group called Food Not Bombs, which has served weekly vegetarian meals there for the homeless for more than a year, said it would continue illegally.

One can now, obviously, only wonder where they will stop in enforcing this and whether they will not suddenly make the feeding of the homeless anywhere a felony. A surprise this would surely not be, neither in the USA nor in the UK, for instance. Once one city plays around with such legislation then one can only wonder which one will follow suit next and where this will end. In the same way as when some local authorities in the UK have decided that any Gypsy no longer traveling g is no longer ethnic Gypsy and therefore no longer has any redress under the race relations legislations and in the same time making the traveling with trailer an felony thereby, with one stroke, solving the problem of ethnic Gypsies. If they can’t travel they no longer are and if they no longer are then the problem is solved.

The same can be seen with the homeless. Those that cannot get any work have to starve or steal or, and that could be another reason why the city official of Orlando went that route, have to leave the area.

M V Smith, July 28, 2006