So I was arrested... for feeding the homeless

[DocYogar]

I'm part of a student group that raises money and uses the money to buy high quality ingredients and prepare meals for the homeless. A few years ago our city banned feeding the homeless for "safety reasons". A few members agreed to stay part of the club as long as they didn't participate in the "illegal" feeding of the homeless. However, many of us (including myself) believe that the law infringes on our freedoms, so we continued to operate. We were given a warning one year ago to cease our operations. This year we continued to provide our services to the homeless.

The police officer who saw us told us to stop what we were doing. I refused and he charged me with "disorderly conduct" and gave me a ~$500 fine for feeding the homeless (I wasn't the only one, others were charged too). I am currently in the process of protesting this in court and my lawyer and some advocacy groups are considering suing the city on my behalf.

Will having an arrest on my record be detrimental for medical school admissions?

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[SnakeOilForSale]

Sorry but that title is hilarious.

Arrests and convictions are totally different. If you get it thrown out of court, you can explain it away much easier. Just wait to see what happens first.

 

[Lamel]

Well, look at it this way, now you can tell schools that you were such an altruist that you were reprimanded for it.

But in all seriousness, that really is admirable of you. What does this charge count as? Misdemeanor?

 

[Hospitalized]

What kind of haughty city bans feeding the homeless?

 

[Ismet]

What kind of haughty city bans feeding the homeless?

Ft. Lauderdale for one http://www.local10.com/news/police-charge-90yearold-man-2-pastors-with-feeding-the-homeless/29510268

 

[zzxxzz]

What kind of haughty city bans feeding the homeless?

Many have some kind of law.

The police officer who saw us told us to stop what we were doing. I refused and he charged me with "disorderly conduct" and gave me a ~$500 fine for feeding the homeless (I wasn't the only one, others were charged too). I am currently in the process of protesting this in court and my lawyer and some advocacy groups are considering suing the city on my behalf.

What exactly did you get charged with? Disorderly conduct isn't serious, but if you got something like interfering with a police officer (which you could easily face), you need a lawyer.

Don't expect the charge to get thrown out. Issue is that you were previously warned and knew what you were doing was illegal. You'll probably lose in court. Also, "I knew it was illegal but disagreed with the law" is probably a terrible thing to tell medical schools.


To everyone else reading this: if a cop tells you to do something, do it. In some states, refusing to follow a police officer's orders is a class A misdemeanor. We're talking a hefty fine at best.

 

[AspiringERMD]

Ft. Lauderdale for one http://www.local10.com/news/police-charge-90yearold-man-2-pastors-with-feeding-the-homeless/29510268

I read about this. Is it possible to ragequit a country?

 

[DrOMG]

Ft Lauderdale offer homeless people one-way bus tickets to anywhere in the US as long as they leave. Hawaii offers free one way flights so they leave the state.

...people really disgust me sometimes. It makes me so sad when people don't volunteer to help others.We live in such a selfish world. But alas be the change you wish to see!

 

[TheBatman]

Before ignorant individuals begin commenting on this issue let me fill you in. The reason this ban was established was because of the health hazards associated with passing out food to the homeless. Many groups like the one OP is in were giving out food that was expired or unsanitary and deemed unsafe to eat. Also, some of the homeless had food allergies which caused them to have severe allergic reactions. There are other reasons as well but the ones aforementioned are the true driving force as to why the laws were passed

 

[mehc012]

Before ignorant individuals begin commenting on this issue let me fill you in. The reason this ban was established was because of the health hazards associated with passing out food to the homeless. Many groups like the one OP is in were giving out food that was expired or unsanitary and deemed unsafe to eat. Also, some of the homeless had food allergies which caused them to have severe allergic reactions. There are other reasons as well but the ones aforementioned are the true driving force as to why the laws were passed

Oh no, some people have peanut allergies, let's let them all starve! <- wonderful demonstration of the reason liability is a stupid-ass priority.

 

[gettheleadout]

Don't expect the charge to get thrown out. Issue is that you were previously warned and knew what you were doing was illegal. You'll probably lose in court. Also, "I knew it was illegal but disagreed with the law" is probably a terrible thing to tell medical schools.

The thing about this is that civil disobedience is a pretty integral part of the interaction between people and government; I think OP could give a pretty good defense and I think it's unfortunate that schools might so quickly judge this.

 

[Hospitalized]

Before ignorant individuals begin commenting on this issue let me fill you in. The reason this ban was established was because of the health hazards associated with passing out food to the homeless. Many groups like the one OP is in were giving out food that was expired or unsanitary and deemed unsafe to eat. Also, some of the homeless had food allergies which caused them to have severe allergic reactions. There are other reasons as well but the ones aforementioned are the true driving force as to why the laws were passed

1. Expired food > no food. Most food in the supermarket is processed to death so that it doesn't go bad anyways. I don't take people who hand food to the homeless as the type to purposely inflict harm on others by giving them expired food.
2. People who aren't homeless have allergic reactions to food as well. That doesn't mean we stop feeding them, we just find something different to feed them. There's no reason to have a law against passing out food to the homeless due to "possible allergies." Ultimately it's up to the consumer's knowledge of their allergies to decide whether they can eat said food or not. You can't possibly blame the distributor in this case.

Also, you do not know what kind of "group" OP was in, therefore you should not make a judgmental claim about his efforts.

Sheesh man, have a little faith in humanity.

 

[mehc012]

1. Expired food > no food. Most food in the supermarket is processed to death so that it doesn't go bad anyways. I don't take people who hand food to the homeless as the type to purposely inflict harm on others by giving them expired food.
2. People who aren't homeless have allergic reactions to food as well. That doesn't mean we stop feeding them, we just find something different to feed them. There's no reason to have a law against passing out food to the homeless due to "possible allergies." Ultimately it's up to the consumer's knowledge of their allergies to decide whether they can eat said food or not. You can't possibly blame the distributor in this case.

Also, you do not know what kind of "group" OP was in, therefore you should not make a judgmental claim about his efforts.

Sheesh man, have a little faith in humanity.

Exactly...or, you know, make it a law not to hand out expired foods to the homeless (though that seems unnecessary/wasteful...I eat expired foods all the time) and to list if you include common allergens such as nuts.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Living in Philadelphia, we are frequently told by the police, hospital officials, and school security not to give the homeless anything. That includes money and food. It perpetuates dependency on begging and does not encourage them to seek the social services that exist in the city to address the reasons for their homelessness.

 

[mehc012]

Living in Philadelphia, we are frequently told by the police, hospital officials, and school security not to give the homeless anything. That includes money and food. It perpetuates dependency on begging and does not encourage them to seek the social services that exist in the city to address the reasons for their homelessness.

A gift is a gift; it enables at least a tiny modicum more freedom of choice. Whether they take advantage of the choices they have is not up to me; I do not seek to dictate their behavior nor judge them by giving them things.
The police, hospital officials, and school security can decide what to do with their money and food; I'll decide what to do with my own. It's nice that they have found a way to justify limiting generosity which makes their jobs harder, though.

Honestly, the law seems like a hard one to keep...what if you are long-standing friends, friend gets kicked out of their house. They are now homeless...is it illegal to buy them a Big Mac? You meet someone, take them to lunch...but whoops! Didn't ask for a copy of their lease/mortgage agreement, you might be breaking the law!

 

[Old&InTheWay]

Disobeying an unjust law shows conviction and a strong moral compass. It also shows a degree of recklessness. Just be able to reflect on the incident with maturity and I suspect you'll be ok.

 

[Hospitalized]

Living in Philadelphia, we are frequently told by the police, hospital officials, and school security not to give the homeless anything. That includes money and food. It perpetuates dependency on begging and does not encourage them to seek the social services that exist in the city to address the reasons for their homelessness.

Where I live, many social services run out of beds and we are unable to transfer patient's from the ER to a safe place. All we can do is try to set them on the right path if there's no available solution at the present time. I would never advocate giving money to the homeless, but a little bit of spare food as well as information of how to get help should be encouraged.

 

[Goro]

I think that THIS is the one red flag that would actually get you accepted!

Explain it exactly as you did here, and it will make for some interesting interviews.

I'm part of a student group that raises money and uses the money to buy high quality ingredients and prepare meals for the homeless. A few years ago our city banned feeding the homeless for "safety reasons". A few members agreed to stay part of the club as long as they didn't participate in the "illegal" feeding of the homeless. However, many of us (including myself) believe that the law infringes on our freedoms, so we continued to operate. We were given a warning one year ago to cease our operations. This year we continued to provide our services to the homeless.

The police officer who saw us told us to stop what we were doing. I refused and he charged me with "disorderly conduct" and gave me a ~$500 fine for feeding the homeless (I wasn't the only one, others were charged too). I am currently in the process of protesting this in court and my lawyer and some advocacy groups are considering suing the city on my behalf.

Will having an arrest on my record be detrimental for medical school admissions?

 

[AppsHurtMoreThanStones]

What kind of country have we grown into when we start arresting people for helping those in need? We better all change professions, next thing you know they'll be telling doctors we're not allowed to provide services because the insurance companies forbid it without their permission.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Where I live, many social services run out of beds and we are unable to transfer patient's from the ER to a safe place. All we can do is try to set them on the right path if there's no available solution at the present time. I would never advocate giving money to the homeless, but a little bit of spare food as well as information of how to get help should be encouraged.

You're certainly not going to be the last person that offers help. That little bit of spare food adds up, because believe it or not, that guy on the street corner is probably getting donations on the hour from a different person. This is what encourages them to stick around the hospital and the campus, because they know a dozen people a day will inevitably lend them a hand. The behavior is perpetuated, and it also creates an issue with safety for not only students and employees but also the homeless persons themselves who often compete for resources. The "regulars" in our area are certainly not above harassing students and each other to get what they want, and I've seen those situations get ugly.

 

[mehc012]

You're certainly not going to be the last person that offers help. That little bit of spare food adds up, because believe it or not, that guy on the street corner is probably getting donations on the hour from a different person. This is what encourages them to stick around the hospital and the campus, because they know a dozen people a day will inevitably lend them a hand. The behavior is perpetuated, and it also creates an issue with safety for not only students and employees but also the homeless persons themselves who often compete for resources. The "regulars" in our area are certainly not above harassing students and each other to get what they want, and I've seen those situations get ugly.

Yes, let's constantly treat them like crap instead so they go away and become someone else's problem. That sounds way better (for us, of course, because that is what matters).

 

[Tappinfool66]

Living in Philadelphia, we are frequently told by the police, hospital officials, and school security not to give the homeless anything. That includes money and food. It perpetuates dependency on begging and does not encourage them to seek the social services that exist in the city to address the reasons for their homelessness.

I'd have to disagree with this. It's not like these people are coasting through life and living comfortably on the food and change that they get from people who help them out. They're struggling to get by. If I don't give someone the extra banana that I've been carrying around, I don't think it'll inspire him to "seek the services that exist" - he'll just keep moving and trying to get by. And whether or not I choose to give someone something from my bag should be my business, not the cops'.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Clearly I'm not changing anyone's mind here about what the right thing to do is. This is a moral issue, and there's no way anyone is being swayed over the internet.

Let me just say that we are certainly encouraged to direct homeless persons to the appropriate services around the city in lieu of offering them food or money. I have done so on a handful of occasions and have found that they are genuinely surprised to learn that these services exist or are closer than they thought. I've referred people to our student run clinics where we offer advocacy services that hook people up with insurance and housing resources in addition to medical care. I have seen it work. I have worked personally with these people. Does it work all the time? No, but I would rather make an effort to try and change their current behavior than to encourage it.

That's my personal opinion. As far as the law goes, I never said that I agree with the lengths that it takes, and, quite frankly, I do think it's up to you whether or not you offer food or whatever. I'm simply stating my opinion on what effect that can have and alternatives to the sole act of giving what I see as a short term fix that fails to address the larger problem.

I'm done here.

 

[mehc012]

Clearly I'm not changing anyone's mind here about what the right thing to do is. This is a moral issue, and there's no way anyone is being swayed over the internet.

Let me just say that we are certainly encouraged to direct homeless persons to the appropriate services around the city in lieu of offering them food or money. I have done so on a handful of occasions and have found that they are genuinely surprised to learn that these services exist or are closer than they thought. I've referred people to our student run clinics where we offer advocacy services that hook people up with insurance and housing resources in addition to medical care. I have seen it work. I have worked personally with these people. Does it work all the time? No, but I would rather make an effort to try and change their current behavior than to encourage it.

That's my personal opinion. As far as the law goes, I never said that I agree with the lengths that it takes, and, quite frankly, I do think it's up to you whether or not you offer food or whatever. I'm simply stating my opinion on what effect that can have and alternatives to the sole act of giving what I see as a short term fix that fails to address the larger problem.

I'm done here.

Fair enough...I'm perfectly fine with choosing to do things your way vs giving food or money or what have you. And you're likely right that it has more potential for long-term benefits. That's not what I give for...I don't donate a Big Mac thinking I'll make an actual shift in our societal structure. Your method has merit, and I don't think that's what people are denying here.

The only reason I have been speaking against what you say is that the bolded does not reflect the context of your actual posts. Your actual posts have been 'hey guys, the law is not being ridiculous, it has some good logic behind it like xyz.' Thus, whether it reflects your actual position or not, you have until this point seemed to be arguing that laws limiting personal donations to the homeless are a good idea.

Since you do not actually hold that stance, we are not in disagreement! Internet discussion can clear up some things!!

 

[allantois]

They also ban people from being on the beach at night. I think it's because they used to have homeless people go there to sleep.

SO much hate for the neediest of all people!

 

[blackroses]

You're certainly not going to be the last person that offers help. That little bit of spare food adds up, because believe it or not, that guy on the street corner is probably getting donations on the hour from a different person. This is what encourages them to stick around the hospital and the campus, because they know a dozen people a day will inevitably lend them a hand. The behavior is perpetuated, and it also creates an issue with safety for not only students and employees but also the homeless persons themselves who often compete for resources. The "regulars" in our area are certainly not above harassing students and each other to get what they want, and I've seen those situations get ugly.

I don't get the argument that "the behavior is perpetuated". Do you think that if people stopped giving any aid to the homeless they'd just stop being homeless?

 

[ChEMD]

I don't get the argument that "the behavior is perpetuated". Do you think that if people stopped giving any aid to the homeless they'd just stop being homeless?

People do what they need to do in order to survive. If all someone needs to do is sit at a street corner and beg for food, and that is what they're used to, then that's what they're gonna do and nothing more. It's much more difficult to try to work your way back into society, and when someone is already feeling helpless, they might not want to put in the effort to try and do so (and there's always the possibility of failure, which I'm sure deters plenty of people). So yes, helping someone survive on the street by giving them a short term fix (food or money) is absolutely perpetuating their behavior, and your basically giving the person no reason to change the way they live.

 

[zzxxzz]

People do what they need to do in order to survive. If all someone needs to do is sit at a street corner and beg for food, and that is what they're used to, then that's what they're gonna do and nothing more. It's much more difficult to try to work your way back into society, and when someone is already feeling helpless, they might not want to put in the effort to try and do so (and there's always the possibility of failure, which I'm sure deters plenty of people). So yes, helping someone survive on the street by giving them a short term fix (food or money) is absolutely perpetuating their behavior, and your basically giving the person no reason to change the way they live.

At least in the major city in which I live, the vast majority of homeless people (85-90%) are homeless not because of choice or laziness, but because the SECOND they get $10 together they're buying a dime bag of heroin. That's why they're homeless in the first place.

Sounds insensitive, but my city actually just released a study on its homeless population. They found very few homeless people who didn't use heroin.

 

[CrimsonKing]

Wouldn't you be pretty tempted to use Heroin if you were homeless and saw no way out? At least being high out of your mind would make the world a little more bearable.

Consider that many of the homeless are the mentally ill that our society has already abandoned, and often don't have the tools available to help themselves. If we had robust community mental health programs all over the place, and a system that supported those in need, those of you above could have legitimate arguments about feeding the homeless perpetuating learned helplessness.

As it is, being able to get any food at all is a kindness of the sort that is entirely too lacking in our society without compassion. The main reason laws like this are passed are so that cities can try and get rid of their homeless population entirely. NOT by making them not homeless, but by driving them off to other communities so that their own community members don't have to see "those people." These laws serve no one but those who would like to pretend that by not seeing the homeless, somehow the homeless wouldn't exist.

 

[Great White Buffalo]

I applaud your stand. Explain the "red flag", and you should be reward, in a more perfect world. Best wishes to you.

 

[Catalystik]

Disobeying an unjust law shows conviction and a strong moral compass. It also shows a degree of recklessness. Just be able to reflect on the incident with maturity and I suspect you'll be ok.

Along the same lines, some adcomms will think you're a hero and others will look on you as a risk taker. If it's on your record, you might as well own it and hope that more in the former category handle your application and consider your thoughtful and balanced explanation as representative of traits desirable in a physician.

 

[estanton]

Yeah I feel like there are certain schools that would eat this up. Definitely apply to Duke.

 

[DocYogar]

Technically it's a misdemeanor where I live. I only spent a night in jail and was released the next day. I don't expect the charges to be dropped but I intend to fight them in court. Quite frankly I'm glad they aren't dropping the charge, that way we can get local case law to favor those who feed the homeless HIGH QUALITY MEALS such as my organization (someone commented that the food is usually expired but if you read my entire post you would know that we only use high quality ingredients). Our goal is simply to give people enough healthy meals so that they can SURVIVE, we're not "perpetuating begging" as someone above suggested.

When I first started one of the homeless I was assigned to work with had a serious heroin problem and no job. We started feeding him and he used the extra time he didn't need to spend begging to go to rehab. After that we helped him get a job. Now he's a construction manager and volunteers with us on weekends. Granted, this is an n=1 case, but this is not the only case, just one very close to me. Sure, there are people who are "moochers" and would rather have hand-outs than pull themselves up, but this is rare and should not be considered representative of the homeless population.

 

[Goro]

A classic example of why it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness!

Technically it's a misdemeanor where I live. I only spent a night in jail and was released the next day. I don't expect the charges to be dropped but I intend to fight them in court. Quite frankly I'm glad they aren't dropping the charge, that way we can get local case law to favor those who feed the homeless HIGH QUALITY MEALS such as my organization (someone commented that the food is usually expired but if you read my entire post you would know that we only use high quality ingredients). Our goal is simply to give people enough healthy meals so that they can SURVIVE, we're not "perpetuating begging" as someone above suggested.

When I first started one of the homeless I was assigned to work with had a serious heroin problem and no job. We started feeding him and he used the extra time he didn't need to spend begging to go to rehab. After that we helped him get a job. Now he's a construction manager and volunteers with us on weekends. Granted, this is an n=1 case, but this is not the only case, just one very close to me. Sure, there are people who are "moochers" and would rather have hand-outs than pull themselves up, but this is rare and should not be considered representative of the homeless population.

 

[YogaBe@r]

I volunteer at a homeless clinic on Sundays to provide them with free medical care. The very thought of someone arresting us for simply trying to help these people is ridiculous. A vast majority have mental illnesses and are barely surviving. Why is it that in a society that encourages people to help others shuns those who need the most help? I've talked tto these patients and a majority of them are polite and courteous. Sometimes we are the only ones they get to speak to for the entire week. Sometimes I think they just need someone to talk to, someone who will actually listen.

Fight that case OP! No one should be punished for trying to feed a starving community. The only reasons those laws exist are so people can more easily ignore the homeless if they aren't in plain sight.

Edit: mildly relevant http://www.nwfdailynews.com/local/park-lounging-law-rankles-local-family-ordinance-1.285709

 

[ridethecliche]

If it was so lucrative to be homeless because of all the handouts, then more people would be doing it.

Being poor in america, or anywhere really, sucks. I'd argue it's worse here than most first world countries.

 

[stickshifthonda]

I applaud you OP and the things you are standing up for! What a disgusting city government... feeding those who are experiencing homelessness (see, they're not "the homeless", that doesn't define them, they are a person experiencing homelessness) is an amazing thing- you learn about yourself, meet people you never would have, and get to see the true face of homelessness. Hint: it's not all drug addiction and mental illness.

Fight the charges, fight for your right to serve others, and keep doing amazing things!

 

[Entadus]

At least in the major city in which I live, the vast majority of homeless people (85-90%) are homeless not because of choice or laziness, but because the SECOND they get $10 together they're buying a dime bag of heroin. That's why they're homeless in the first place.

Sounds insensitive, but my city actually just released a study on its homeless population. They found very few homeless people who didn't use heroin.

Correlation vs causation, buddy.

People do what they need to do in order to survive. If all someone needs to do is sit at a street corner and beg for food, and that is what they're used to, then that's what they're gonna do and nothing more. It's much more difficult to try to work your way back into society, and when someone is already feeling helpless, they might not want to put in the effort to try and do so (and there's always the possibility of failure, which I'm sure deters plenty of people). So yes, helping someone survive on the street by giving them a short term fix (food or money) is absolutely perpetuating their behavior, and your basically giving the person no reason to change the way they live.

People do what they need to survive.... except for the ones who don't. They die. Some people feel compelled to prevent that, others not so much.

 

[Megalomis]

I'm part of a student group that raises money and uses the money to buy high quality ingredients and prepare meals for the homeless. A few years ago our city banned feeding the homeless for "safety reasons". A few members agreed to stay part of the club as long as they didn't participate in the "illegal" feeding of the homeless. However, many of us (including myself) believe that the law infringes on our freedoms, so we continued to operate. We were given a warning one year ago to cease our operations. This year we continued to provide our services to the homeless.

The police officer who saw us told us to stop what we were doing. I refused and he charged me with "disorderly conduct" and gave me a ~$500 fine for feeding the homeless (I wasn't the only one, others were charged too). I am currently in the process of protesting this in court and my lawyer and some advocacy groups are considering suing the city on my behalf.

Will having an arrest on my record be detrimental admissions?

This is very sad to me for some reason :/. What kind of a state have we come to . I clicked on the title because I thought it was funny but now I'm on the verge of tears haha. It's good to know that caring and strong willed people like yourself are still out there!

 

[Megalomis]

http://aattp.org/33-u-s-cities-ban-sharing-food-with-the-homeless/

Apparently being homeless can be attributed to one of three things: not being able to get a job, having a mental illness, and/or substance addiction. I always try to say hello to homeless people and sometimes strike up a conversation w them. What I've noticed is that probably about half of them have a mental illness of some kind-and the other half actually seem totally w it. Family issues (or no family at all they have claimed), and circumstances in which they lost their job awhile back and then had difficulty getting back up on their feet seem to be a reoccurring issue.

There is one lady I have gotten to know--and she told me awhile back that she ENJoYS being homeless, and doesn't mind living outside since that means she can live off the grid. She refuses to stay at shelters for that reason, and says she values her freedom too much. Every case is slightly different so I don't want to generalize too much-but most of them go crazy over a simple slice of pizza, box of crackers, etc. I don't understand why giving them food is illegal, yet handing out spare change isn't? If it's any comfort I think that link says that 4 individuals who received a ticket for doing the same thing had their case dismissed. Best of luck to you..and I say keep up the good work! I hope there are people working to reverse this law bc it's pretty inhumane and idiotic to me!

 

[stickshifthonda]

Open your eyes people! You're going to be the future physicians, people with social capital and great knowledge who many look up to and respect.

Who honestly thought of this as a reason for homelessness? Blew your mind, right? This is what I do every day of my life.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture...being-cast-out-by-religious-families-20140903

 

[mehc012]

Open your eyes people! You're going to be the future physicians, people with social capital and great knowledge who many look up to and respect.

Who honestly thought of this as a reason for homelessness? Blew your mind, right? This is what I do every day of my life.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture...being-cast-out-by-religious-families-20140903

Uhh, yeah. And then a lot of the resources are religiously affiliated as well and some shelters are not available to them. This is not an unknown phenomenon.

Keep up the work advocating for them and everything...but what is with the 'tude?

 

[Boolean]

Uhh, yeah. And then a lot of the resources are religiously affiliated as well and some shelters are not available to them. This is not an unknown phenomenon.

Keep up the work advocating for them and everything...but what is with the 'tude?

This is SDN.

 

[beaute'fatale]

What about those that fake homelessness?? don't fall for what you see, i ve seen many people beg on the street but who own better houses that you could ever own; trust me, they travel long distances sometimes go out of state so they won't be recognized by close families, i'm not saying true homeless don't exist but I'm saying many people that claim to be homeless are just lazy people faking. I used to take the metro to school and i always saw this lady asking for change, she would go from metro stop to metro stop on all the lines of the metro to ask for change, really I have seen so many that unless someone is really physically disabled i usually don't buy in their homelessness stories.

 

[mehc012]

What about those that fake homelessness?? don't fall for what you see, i ve seen many people beg on the street but who own better houses that you could ever own; trust me, they travel long distances sometimes go out of state so they won't be recognized by close families, i'm not saying true homeless don't exist but I'm saying many people that claim to be homeless are just lazy people faking. I used to take the metro to school and i always saw this lady asking for change, she would go from metro stop to metro stop on all the lines of the metro to ask for change, really I have seen so many that unless someone is really physically disabled i usually don't buy in their homelessness stories.

I figure that if someone feels the need to beg on the streets, they need help regardless of their specific reason. If it's cuz they're poor, cool. If it's because they're crazy, well, perhaps they need the help/attention even more.

 

[mehc012]

This is SDN.

lol yeah. But being uber-superioristic over what kind of homeless person you help? That's a new one to me.

 

[beaute'fatale]

I figure that if someone feels the need to beg on the streets, they need help regardless of their specific reason. If it's cuz they're poor, cool. If it's because they're crazy, well, perhaps they need the help/attention even more.

what if it s because they are lazy and they want free money?

 

[mehc012]

what if it s because they are lazy and they want free money?

If they were lazy, they wouldn't be wandering over town dodging relatives to make a few bucks an hour. They'd be making more with less effort at pretty much any job.

 

[Boolean]

what if it s because they are lazy and they want free money?

And what if a patient comes in complaining of pain you can't diagnose? Are you going to turn them away?

 

[DokterMom]

Before ignorant individuals begin commenting on this issue let me fill you in. The reason this ban was established was because of the health hazards associated with passing out food to the homeless. Many groups like the one OP is in were giving out food that was expired or unsanitary and deemed unsafe to eat. Also, some of the homeless had food allergies which caused them to have severe allergic reactions. There are other reasons as well but the ones aforementioned are the true driving force as to why the laws were passed

Yeah.

Like concern for women's safety is the real reason for all the restrictions on abortions.