Every child growing up hears the same words over and over. “Share that with your siblings!” Echoes of parents and teachers from childhood still resonate within all of us. Now days, however, your parent’s sound advice may just land your rear-end in jail, along with a hefty fine.
Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
The Sunshine State, along with many others, has deemed it illegal to set up meal stations with the intent to feed homeless people. Lawmakers actually created a law prevents individuals from helping another human beings.
That doesn’t stop 90-year-old World War II veteran Arnold Abbott. For the last 20 years Abbott has run a non-profit dedicated to feeding the homeless in his hometown of Ft. Lauderdale. He’s been feeding regularly for over two decades and has been getting arrested for it just as frequently, sometimes as often as three times in one week. Most officers will wait until every homeless person has a hot meal before taking Abbott into custody. Tired of seeing Abbott’s smiling face in his courtroom, the judge ordered a stay of the law that allows Abbott to feed to his heart’s content.
Most posh establishments simply don’t want to see a dirty homeless person sitting outside their storefront. They urge the city to force the homeless off the street and into shelters. That would be an ideal solution if most shelters weren’t already dealing with overcrowding and turning away many people. Some shelters don’t allow children and most refuse pets.
There are currently over one million homeless in America. The average age of a homeless child is only eight years old. Homelessness doesn’t discriminate, and for 90 percent of the people, it isn’t a personal choice. With so many people living paycheck to paycheck, most families are just two paychecks or a medical emergency away from becoming homeless. Veterans, the mentally ill, disabled, elderly, those escaping domestic abuse and children in the foster care system are more at risk.
The punishment for helping a fellow citizen will earn the Good Samaritan up to 60 days in jail and/or a nice $500 fine. Looking at crimes with the same punishments and penalties, this horrific crime of humanity is comparable to prostitution, embezzlement or larceny. In the eyes of the law, publicly feeding the homeless isn’t any better than shoplifting, driving with a suspended license or destruction of property, to name a few.
Take a moment and let that sink in. Punishing the few humanitarians willing to help will not make this growing problem disappear.