90-year-old Florida man arrested for second time in a week after feeding the homeless again

Robert59

Robert59

Well-known Member
Location
Now I live in Tennesee. Did live in Michigan.
WOW !....Not sure what to say about that. I admit I do not give to panhandlers. But jailing someone, [old or not] for kindness ? And their effort to help others ?

I mean I agree with "tuff-luv" Keep their life miserable and maybe they'll go back to work, but I think this is a bit over the top.

I read the menu, sounds good.....think I'll go down there for lunch....... ;)
 

IMO it's an example of the ignorance/arrogance/lack of experience that many of our elected officials have.

The people that crafted this ordinance were focused on pushing the homeless back into the shadows and did not think about how it could impact the community.

The same ordinance could be applied to a couple of middle-class kids sharing a Happy Meal.

There should be a provision that would allow individuals to share with each other and for groups to get a permit/health certificate that would allow them to hand out food as long as they do not create a public nuisance, health hazard or litter the area, not much different than a permit to have a food truck or hot dog cart in most communities.

I'm glad that this man and his group are challenging the ordinance and it pleases me that the police are embarrassed to enforce it.
 
One officer demanded that he "drop that plate right now" as others picked up the trays off food and inserted them directly into the garbage with lines of homeless people looking on.
Click to expand...

Good grief, another Monty Python skit! Or maybe SNL?

Not funny to the homeless, I'm sure, but sometimes all you can do is shake your head in amazement. This week's Scrooge award goes to the Ft. Lauderdale city council, or whoever enacted this idiotic policy.
 
from the article-

"The new law in Ft. Lauderdale comes after the city announced in January that people are restricted from camping, panhandling, food sharing and engaging in other "life sustaining activities."

The laws regarding food sharing where ironically enacted on Halloween when millions of people were out sharing candy. "

Restricted from life sustaining activities???? WHAT?
 
So what's the solution here? I agree that arresting this guy, however old he is, seems pretty harsh. So let's let him keep feeding the homeless. It enables them to stay on the streets, pee on the streets, poop on the streets, and continue to live their life on the streets. Is enabling that true compassion? I have no answers here. What I do know is that if you subsidize something, you get more of it.
 
CarolfromTX said:
It enables them to stay on the streets, pee on the streets, poop on the streets, and continue to live their life on the streets. Is enabling that true compassion?
Click to expand...
There's only 2 alternatives I can see at this point-

They die, or they move to another area where they stay on the streets, pee on the streets, poop on the streets, and continue to live their life on the streets.

I have no answers, either. 😟
 
I have to agree with my fellow Texan. Just as feeding wild animals encourages them to lose their fear of people and move deeper into city centers, so too does the feeding of homeless encourage them to view your city as a soft touch.

My city, Austin, has become overrun with homeless. The city is buying up multi-million dollar hotels to house some, but they keep coming. It's a terrible situation.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.st...stinrsquos-camping-ban-repeal?template=ampart
 
Last edited:
Ft. Lauderdale and the area round it is somewhere I have been and my impression was one of gated communities, wealthy residents and a fashionable tourist resort. Probably not the sort of area that encourages a homeless population.
 
CarolfromTX said:
So what's the solution here? I agree that arresting this guy, however old he is, seems pretty harsh. So let's let him keep feeding the homeless. It enables them to stay on the streets, pee on the streets, poop on the streets, and continue to live their life on the streets. Is enabling that true compassion? I have no answers here. What I do know is that if you subsidize something, you get more of it.
Click to expand...


As I noted in my first response , this is a hard one to take a stand on. But for the most part, I agree with you. I just don't feel that sorry for them [the bums] As you hint, and again I noted, quit giving / enabling & maybe, just maybe they'll get the message ?

I just think the old man's heart is in the right place, and now he's paying for being kind.....
 
I don't have any answers either and like the bible says, the poor will always be with us.

I do have a concern when the nice people start passing laws aimed at specific groups of people in our community.

It reminds me of Eugenics and the Nazis that made it popular.

First They Came ...
By Pastor Martin Niemöller

First, they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
 
I've always given to the poor and always will if I am able to do so. I couldn't bear to see an animal hungry let alone a human being. I wish there were millions more who feel as I do and would make their voices heard. No one stands up against any outrage anymore. Kudos to this guy for all he's done to help human suffering.
 
So what's the solution here? I agree that arresting this guy, however old he is, seems pretty harsh. So let's let him keep feeding the homeless. It enables them to stay on the streets, pee on the streets, poop on the streets, and continue to live their life on the streets. Is enabling that true compassion? I have no answers here. What I do know is that if you subsidize something, you get more of it.
Click to expand...

Carol from TX, the trouble with your reasoning is that you seem to assume that the homeless are living the way they do out of some selfish, mean-
spirited choice. They like being hungry? They enjoy peeing on the streets? And giving them a sandwich now and then is "enabling" them?

I can't imagine any human being actually choosing to live that way. Their existence is a nightmare. They are constantly cold, hungry, diseased, stalked by death, at the mercy of criminals, wild animals, and disease. Their physical suffering is pretty much unimaginable to most of us. At least in this country, they do have shelters to take them in, but they are still living hand to mouth. And maybe you would also want to close the shelters?

I don't know the statistics on this, but I imagine many, or most of the homeless are mentally ill. A lot of them are living the way they do because thy have no choice, or can't deal with the choices because they are sick. So... what do we do? Just leave them to die, because showing an act of human kindness is enabling them to go on living?
 
^Right you are Sunny. And many are employed too but do not make enough money for the skyrocketing rents thanks to deregulation in that area. They live in their cars or in hobo tent villages. Tourists don't like it because it pollutes their view. But how can hungry people work and survive without food? Laws are changing so fast to prevent them from helping themselves. In L.A. they cannot take food from a dumpster or a city trash recepticle because it's city property and if caught they will be arrested for stealing. Something is seriously wrong here friends.
 
They would arrest me as well. If I see someone hungry and I have enough to share, I would share. Even if I don't have enough, if I was able to, I would go into a nearby store and pick up something for them to eat. What an AWFUL LAW. I pray whom ever made that law, they never feel the raft of it because it will be 2x worst for them.
 
Sunny said:
Carol from TX, the trouble with your reasoning is that you seem to assume that the homeless are living the way they do out of some selfish, mean-
spirited choice. They like being hungry? They enjoy peeing on the streets? And giving them a sandwich now and then is "enabling" them?

I can't imagine any human being actually choosing to live that way. Their existence is a nightmare. They are constantly cold, hungry, diseased, stalked by death, at the mercy of criminals, wild animals, and disease. Their physical suffering is pretty much unimaginable to most of us. At least in this country, they do have shelters to take them in, but they are still living hand to mouth. And maybe you would also want to close the shelters?

I don't know the statistics on this, but I imagine many, or most of the homeless are mentally ill. A lot of them are living the way they do because thy have no choice, or can't deal with the choices because they are sick. So... what do we do? Just leave them to die, because showing an act of human kindness is enabling them to go on living?
Click to expand...
In a thoroughly researched documentary on the homeless problem in Seattle, the percentage of homeless with drug problems was set at around 95%, if I recall correctly. Sorry, nobody forced them to get into drugs and become homeless, with some exceptions, I'm sure.

Watch the documentary on YouTube.

 
I can remember back in the day when my mom would give a bum a sandwich or whatever food stuff was handy. They would ask for work, but mom would tell them no need and “hold on a minute.” Then she would make them a sandwich or two and also whatever pastry she had handy and give it to them. Dad was always OK with that.

Ft. Lauderdale is a beautiful area with gated communities and a really nice touristy beach. Maybe they just want to deter the homeless not to bother to come into their piece of paradise. It’s really a selfish act, if you ask me. I believe in charity to those that need it. This is America and no one should have to go hungry.
 


Back
Top