I thought of that myself, but in a bureaucracy, it might not be quite that easy.
I don't know... I'm not a lawyer, and I don't live in Orlando.
...........
Either way, I still believe the intent of this law, if not the letter, is punishing the homeless, and keeping people from being able to help them.
And I am proud that certain good citizen are rising up to be Good Samaritans to fight this law.
Since these homeless are on US streets, I believe that the right to help some one in need should be an inalienable right.
Heck... I might even do a drive-by sandwich just to show my support.
The way the article makes it sound is like Orlando is 'attacking' the homeless, as if they are giving a big middle finger to people who live on the streets. Ignore the theme of the article and the attitude of the author. Instead, focus on the reality.
There are city ordinances put into place in almost every single city in the country that forbid people from bathing, washing, shaving (etc) in public restrooms or sleeping on park benches, bushes and bus stops. Orlando is no different. And, it's never going to be.
The author makes it sound like those city ordinances are unjustified, as if there is no reason to enforce those rules - as if they were only put into place out of hatred for the homeless. That is simply not the case. Just because there are signs posted in public bathrooms that cite a city ordinance that forbids people from bathing in the sink, it doesn't make it worse. It's a sign. And, the author makes it seem as if posting a sign that simply states a city rule is hateful and bigoted. And, the author carries that attitude throughout the entire article. But, if you cut through the author's obvious intent (which is to make Orlando and its city officials look like scumbags), you will see that nothing wrong is going on.
The law in question forces individuals and organizations that wish to feed the homeless in public places to get a permit before they do so. And, only two permits per year are allowed for each individual and/or organization. Nowhere does the law state that people
can't feed the homeless. It simply forces organizations to, ironically, be more organized.
How is that punishing the homeless or preventing anybody from helping them?
And, for the record - read different articles about this issue. The people who have been arrested for violating the law were not taken into custody for 'no reason,' as many would like to believe. They were breaking a law and they were doing it on purpose, with defiance. They were taken to jail for a reason, not because Orlando city officials are big, bad, evil dictators.
I don't believe the purpose of the law is to punish the homeless. I believe it's to keep a park relatively family friendly place. I believe if a consistent feeding area for homeless were to be established in the park that would severely diminish the family friendly zone.
The police were not arresting people for this act, simply telling them to do it in a more appropriate area which I agree with. A food bank or shelter would be a much more appropriate place. A public park is not place for potentially hundreds of homeless to congregate.
Exactly.
People who have a problem with this law are just looking at it from a skewed point of view, as if the city of Orlando (or any city for that matter) owes it to the homeless to let them eat, live and sleep wherever they want. I mean, would YOU let a homeless person sleep in your bushes and take a bath with your garden hose? No, you wouldn't. So, why expect the Parks Department to be ok with it?
