Criminalization of Homelessness

Discussion in 'Human Rights' started by OregonDemocrat, Apr 23, 2014.

  1. OregonDemocrat

    OregonDemocrat New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2013
    Messages:
    66
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Believe it or not, this ridiculous idea has actually been enacted in South Carolina, although it was recently repealed.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/04/columbia-criminalizing-homelessness_n_3866273.html

    The law banned panhandling and loitering, and required the homeless either to go to a shelter or be arrested.

    I am absolutely opposed to this law. Punishing someone for extreme poverty is backwards policy that should be outlawed. Utah's anti-homelessness program of giving away free apartments has been much more successful in actually reducing poverty.

    What is your opinion?
     
  2. Antiduopolist

    Antiduopolist Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2016
    Messages:
    24,354
    Likes Received:
    10,858
    Trophy Points:
    113
    The criminalization of homelessness, poverty and mental illness is a huge problem in our ever more punitive society.
     
    kazenatsu likes this.
  3. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2013
    Messages:
    54,812
    Likes Received:
    18,482
    Trophy Points:
    113
    In the rich and well fed west, with our extensive welfare infrastructure, homelessness is a choice - with the exception being juveniles. Poverty itself is a choice, also.
     
  4. tkolter

    tkolter Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2012
    Messages:
    7,134
    Likes Received:
    598
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Such measures would end up in the courts and very likely be deemed Unconstitutional you can't arrest people for being poor, remove their liberty without due process and take their modest benefits plus from my experience most such shelters may not be safe. And crank I was born disabled, worked as hard as I could at any job offered that was in the main legal and got too disabled from added medical problems and ended up on SSI and other benefits and am not rich and what kind of place could I afford to live with my SSI income which should be $750US next year. Even many rented rooms can run into the $150 a week range and then how about my other expenses $5 a day isn't much for transportation, medical costs my Medicaid won't cover, clothes, personal hygiene things and other things.
     
  5. CKW

    CKW Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2010
    Messages:
    15,296
    Likes Received:
    3,378
    Trophy Points:
    113
    My opinion is that most of the pan handlers I've met are scammers. They are almost verbatim on the sales pitch. Usually has something do do with needing money for a bus ticket to their job. Day after day they are still needing a bus ticket.

    My first experience with a pan handler when I moved to a large city, was a woman outside a convenience store who begged for money for food. After I entered the store, she followed me in with the money someone gave her and promptly picked up a quart of beer.

    The parking meter is fun...they know you have change and will knock on your window even before you open the door. Can be a very intimidating experience.

    Once I sat in my car in a parking lot sending out emails and I eventually had three guys knock on my window asking for bus money.

    Perhaps the op is not a woman and thus not targeted by these people as much?
     
  6. tkolter

    tkolter Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2012
    Messages:
    7,134
    Likes Received:
    598
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    These laws can hurt when I was able to Busk as in street perform this was in the USA they lumped me and still do with peers in with beggars and panhandlers when generally speaking I could and others earn enough to get a place to live or stayed at motels if traveling. This was more acute in cases like this city. In Europe there are clearly undesirables as in bums and tramps and artists as in Buskers who get far better treatment at least when I was there years ago and am not sure if this is still the case.

    Hell even homeless who are Buskers have issues I would argue a decent musician hobo is far nicer to have around playing and singing or whatever his pitch is to a panhandler begging for money. I find that amusing at the local grocery store almost every month some children are begging for money to do something a sport, go to a tournament or something and am thinking this is okay but last month a wonderful violinist with a good amount of talent they drove off and he was working for his money to support his family. -sick-

    But what are you going to do with bums some are mentally ill, others disabled but can't get the evidence to get help, some addicts and drunks and some are down on their luck and need money for food in my experience kind of rare the last one - its a complex issue.
     
  7. Diuretic

    Diuretic Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2008
    Messages:
    11,481
    Likes Received:
    915
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    “The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.”

    Anatole France
     
  8. DoctorWho

    DoctorWho Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2016
    Messages:
    15,501
    Likes Received:
    3,740
    Trophy Points:
    113
    " The poor have not any bread..."
    Let them eat cake !!!"

    Faked quote
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2017
  9. Empress

    Empress Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2014
    Messages:
    3,142
    Likes Received:
    913
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Female
    It's not a reasonable law. It's abjectly stupid.

    Shelters do not and can not take intoxicated people, people with behavioral issues, or the unmedicated mentally ill, who don't like shelters and rules anyway.

    I'd say whoever wrote that law has no experience in an urban environment around homeless people.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2017
  10. Arkie

    Arkie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2016
    Messages:
    1,155
    Likes Received:
    447
    Trophy Points:
    83
    Gender:
    Female
    You are extremely ignorant.
     
  11. Max Rockatansky

    Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2013
    Messages:
    25,394
    Likes Received:
    8,172
    Trophy Points:
    113
    You're complaining about a law that's been repealed? Interesting.

    As for panhandlers, what is your proposal? You know most of them are already on some form of disability but can't use their SNAP cards to buy booze or cigarettes so.....what do you think they do for money?
     
  12. DoctorWho

    DoctorWho Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2016
    Messages:
    15,501
    Likes Received:
    3,740
    Trophy Points:
    113
    They spread AIDS / HIV and other STDs, as well as MRSA etc....
    They keep rather busy selling anything not nailed down.
    Theme song: "She's like heroin.."

    Many of those people sell their food benefits at reduced rates for drug / alcohol / tobacco cash and live off food pantry boxes and soup kitchens and other stuff.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
  13. Max Rockatansky

    Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2013
    Messages:
    25,394
    Likes Received:
    8,172
    Trophy Points:
    113
    What do you propose?
     
  14. delade

    delade Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2017
    Messages:
    5,844
    Likes Received:
    317
    Trophy Points:
    83
    Gender:
    Male
    Exactly... The State or City should provide areas for them. Instead of indoor shelters, they should provide 'areas' which they can sleep, eat, and have their livelihood... Some cities have referred to such areas as 'tent cities'...







    Don't you find this more 'humane' for them rather than seeing them on the curbs asking walker bys for some loose change or not and even sleeping on the sidewalks??? At least here, they can 'develop' whatever forms of activities and opportunities they think is good for themselves...

    A little make shift tent that sells toiletries.. Another that sells water.. maybe even another that offers cooked foods after they purchase foods with food stamps.. etc...
    Maybe even a small eatery of sorts with their own personalized 'menu' for their camp members to choose from.. Of course they would need to pay somehow so that food supplies can continue coming in.

    A liquor store.. A cigarette store.. Maybe even a drug store..

    Get a good antenna radio, maybe even an antenna t.v. and you have entertainment. Or just get a portable DVD player and rent dvd's from the local store..

    Connect the DVD player to a large Flat Screen you can find on the corner bulk pick up.. Get a rechargeable Generator, and you can even have movie nights with popcorn, soda or whatever...


    Either way.. It would beat sitting out in public to have to watch strangers walking by you everyday and having yourself seen by them everyday...

    If you think about it, the early Pioneers of America had to do all of this without having the luxury of radio, tv, dvd, generators, bought foods, bought drinks, toiletries, etc...

    Get an inflatable bed, get a dresser, get some boards... They can MAKE their own indoor shelter with sectioned off rooms if they wanted to...

    The only thing that might be missing is continually running Electricity and working plumbing..
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2017
  15. Max Rockatansky

    Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2013
    Messages:
    25,394
    Likes Received:
    8,172
    Trophy Points:
    113
    1) Most of those people are mentally ill. They need treatment not tents and cigarettes.

    2) Who pay for this? Whoever does, shouldn't they have a vote in how their tax dollars are spent?
     

Share This Page