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What would you do if you came across someone on the street that had not had anything to eat for several days? Would you give that person some food? Well, the next time you get that impulse you might want to check if it is still legal to feed the homeless where you live. Sadly, feeding the homeless has been banned in major cities all over America.
There is a woman in Metro Detroit I read about a couple months ago (can't find the story right now) who is involved in a legal battle with her municipality, because she has planted a vegetable garden in her yard. The city says it isn't in keeping with the look of the neighborhood. Even though I'm not a libertarian, I'm glad they're around sometimes to remind us that if given the opportunity, the government will take as many steps to control public life as they possibly can. The thing that I think people miss, however, is that its not often the Federal government that's the biggest problem; its local and state governments. Remember the case in CA as few years ago when a kid got a long prison sentence for shoplifting a candy bar, because it was his "third strike"? Hopefully these groups will continue to feed whomever they want under threat of arrest; they're fighting a worthy fight, IMO.
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crackedmonocle · 4675 days ago · link ·
Here is the article about the woman in detroit.
I have a hard time believing that they are doing this because of the health risks of food being given to the homeless. In my area, I have noticed that there are a lot of homeless who will stand outside gas stations and ask for food not money, I am usually asked by the clerk or manager not to get them anything so they will "go away on their own". These permits are probably denied based on location as much as anything else.