Group Intentionally Violating City Ordinance During "Ladle Fest"

[piemaker720]

http://www.wftv.com/news/14289861/detail.html

A controversial city ordinance has led to a number of protests and now a trial. An Orlando man is the first person to face a jury for feeding the homeless.
It's the first trial of its kind. A man is facing a judge and jury for violating Orlando's ban on feeding the homeless. Eric Montanez, 22, was caught feeding a group in Lake Eola Park earlier this year. The prosecution told Eyewitness News their case rests on video taken of Montanez feeding the homeless, breaking Orlando's feeding ban.
Me personally, I think that's discriminating for one," said Lamont Robinson, a homeless man.
"We're out here trying to survive from day to day life and this gentleman over here is helping us," said Melvin Moore, a homeless man.
The law itself should be illegal. Feeding people should not be criminalized. Being poor should not be criminalized," Montanez said.

Hooray for that group, this law is stupid. This group is demonstating humanity and what happens? Government happens.

[joepole]

Giving food to homeless people is cruel.

[rhertz]

Originally Posted by joepole

Giving food to homeless people is cruel.

I'm not sure what your reasoning is. But I'm all ears.....

[piemaker720]

UPDATE: Man acquitted of feeding homeless
http://www.wftv.com/news/14303721/detail.html

Even though prosecutors had video and police testimony indicating Eric Montanez was breaking the law by feeding the homeless, he was found not guilty on Tuesday as the first person charged with violating a city ban on mass feedings of the homeless at city parks. It took the jury around three hours to return their verdict.

Good for him.

[AnimeSpirit]

Maybe the city has shelters or facilities for homeless people and feeding them in the park motivates them not to use these facilities. That might explain the justification for such ordinances.

[piemaker720]

Originally Posted by AnimeSpirit

Maybe the city has shelters or facilities for homeless people and feeding them in the park motivates them not to use these facilities. That might explain the justification for such ordinances.

It should not matter whether they are in a shelter or on the street or in the park. If someone is hungary feed them.

[AnimeSpirit]

Originally Posted by piemaker720

It should not matter whether they are in a shelter or on the street or in the park. If someone is hungary feed them.

True, but I was trying to figure out the circumstance under which this ordinance would ever come up for a town government to consider. I mean, WHY would a city government have a problem with people feeding homeless?

The only good reason I could think of is the one I mentioned. If the taxpayers provided shelters for these homeless people and yet they continued to live on the street because people were feeding them there too, I might consider putting a stop to that as well. It's a waste of the taxpayers' money to build these shelters to aid the homeless when the homeless doesn't want to use them. Besides that, the homeless people would be better off in a shelter than sleeping in a park.