Feed the Homeless!!!

       

  I must start out by saying that my family has been homeless, so I know first hand how it feels to be homeless. I've volunteered overnight several times in a homeless shelter and it hurts me to see hungry people in this world when I eat so well.
          That being said,  I was scrolling through one of my favorite sites, alernet.org and found an article titled: “Outrageous: Three People Arrested for Feeding the Homeless” . I read their article and was angered at the lack of compassion shown by city officials concerning the homeless. I wondered, how could these people be arrested for doing good deeds? I was intrigued  to search for the reasoning behind the arrests. I read another article in the Orlando Sentinel titled: "Three arrested, accused of illegally feeding homeless".  KEY word being ILLEGAL!! They weren't arrested for feeding the homeless, they were arrested for breaking the law, and after these three folks done their good deed, they were arrested; yes the cops waited till all homeless were fed!!!

                                                                 
          After reading both articles,  I TOTALLY agree with the actions of city officials. If you read the second, more detailed, less biased article, you’ll discover that the Organization (Orlando Food Not Bombs) was fully aware that a permit was needed to feed groups larger than 25 people and they planned on intentionally breaking the law openly on their website!!!  This same permit is required for several other festivals held in this same park. This organization was given 2 free permits by the city previously, and according to locals, they left the park A MESS when all was said and done!!
          In my very humble opinion, this incident is NOT about feeding the homeless, it's for the media attention. I'm all for feeding the homeless, and you can, as long as it is not buffet style with a large group gathering around. I can totally understand the reasoning behind permits, if no one got permits, we'd have the wine festival, a field trip and the carnival in the park all on the same day!!!  If the permit is SUCH a big ordeal, they could always go through the park and pass out meals to the homeless that are there, because that is not illegal.  Since when does helping someone constitute breaking the law?? If it was REALLY about feeding the homeless, then why not do it  elsewhere?  It's not where you feed them, it's that they get a full belly right?  WHY must it be in the park?? If this TRULY is about feeding the homeless, then why not get a permit?
          The group says feeding the homeless in the park teaches kids that we have a problem with homeless in America, they are EXACTLY right, helping the homeless is EXTREMELY important, but so is compromise, structure and rules and regulations. If this group focused more on those issues, and less on intentionally defying the law, maybe they could help more people and use extra 750 dollars they spent on bail money on PERMITS to do it LEGALLY!!!! WOW-now that's good old fashioned reasoning there!  So, again, it's not feeding the homeless that is against the law, its organizing a gathering of a large crowd on a playground without a permit. Just because you don’t agree with a law doesn't give you a right to break it. I certainly don’t like where all of my tax dollars are going, but I can’t stop paying taxes! FEED the homeless, but do it a block away..............if its truly about them, and not you.

This being said, I am posting a link, so that everyone of you who reads this can help fight hunger....LEGALLY!! Please click, it may not be much but it's a start!!
All it takes is a CLICK RIGHT HERE to help fight hunger!

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XoXo ~Lisa Marie