Namaste and thank you for taking time or of your busy day to join me. I have been reading lately about how it is growing around the country, especially in bigger cities, where laws are being passed making it illegal to feed homeless persons.
Approximately 70% of Americans claim to be "Christian" in some form or another. With this knowledge, how can we, claiming to be moral and virtuous, deny basic human rights of food to our fellow human beings? Jesus would be considered a radical anarchist by today's standards with crazy ideas of anti-war, universal healthcare, equality, justice, and feeding those less fortunate.
In my research for this subject there was a lot of negativity on the party of those who passed these laws, which had more to do with large city tourism and money than with any legitimate issue regarding food OR homeless people. On one hand I understand they don't want homeless people in areas that are snobby and touristy. On the other hand, it's shameful to put up signs that equate human behavior to that of animals in a zoo. There are actually signs that say, and I'm paraphrasing, basically: don't feed the homeless, they will get used to you feeding them and not be able to fend for themselves. Humans are not bears or birds. If you don't understand how demeaning this is, than you lack empathy. Even though it was my own fault at the time, I experienced homelessness at 19 years old. I slept in my car in the parking lot of the taco joint I worked at for over 2 months. While this is a short time, it taught me a valuable lesson not only about homelessness, but about being appreciative about smaller things that most Americans take for granted, like where their next meal is coming from or if they will get to eat at all on a particular day. For me it was a LONG, DIFFICULT 2 months. Many individuals and families deal with this issue for much longer periods of time. I empathize. I feel the pain of those people and families that struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table for their loved ones. It's painful to go through.
I don't want to get off on too much of a tangent, but for every law passed is another freedom abolished...
It is shameful that in this country approximately 30% of our gross food net goes to waste either from the stores not being able to sell it fast enough or from just being thrown away by the consumers. Why then is it illegal for me to give unwanted or unneeded food to someone who IS in need? It's NOT just adults going hungry either. Many children across this nation of plenty are going hungry and are malnourished at the end of the day. Especially as we are coming upon the holiday season it is more important than ever to dig deep and find your humanity to share with others who haven't received all the blessings we have. If it is too much to give a sandwich to a homeless man, woman, or child, then PLEASE donate to a charitable institution like the Salvation Army that runs soup kitchens across the nation and donates clothing, toys, and food to those in need.
Lastly, if you DO live in one of the large cities that does have a ban for feeding the homeless in place, I urge you to talk with your local representatives to repeal such hateful and biased laws. This has been the one and only Quiet Mouse 420.
Peace. Love. Respect. Humanity.
Approximately 70% of Americans claim to be "Christian" in some form or another. With this knowledge, how can we, claiming to be moral and virtuous, deny basic human rights of food to our fellow human beings? Jesus would be considered a radical anarchist by today's standards with crazy ideas of anti-war, universal healthcare, equality, justice, and feeding those less fortunate.
In my research for this subject there was a lot of negativity on the party of those who passed these laws, which had more to do with large city tourism and money than with any legitimate issue regarding food OR homeless people. On one hand I understand they don't want homeless people in areas that are snobby and touristy. On the other hand, it's shameful to put up signs that equate human behavior to that of animals in a zoo. There are actually signs that say, and I'm paraphrasing, basically: don't feed the homeless, they will get used to you feeding them and not be able to fend for themselves. Humans are not bears or birds. If you don't understand how demeaning this is, than you lack empathy. Even though it was my own fault at the time, I experienced homelessness at 19 years old. I slept in my car in the parking lot of the taco joint I worked at for over 2 months. While this is a short time, it taught me a valuable lesson not only about homelessness, but about being appreciative about smaller things that most Americans take for granted, like where their next meal is coming from or if they will get to eat at all on a particular day. For me it was a LONG, DIFFICULT 2 months. Many individuals and families deal with this issue for much longer periods of time. I empathize. I feel the pain of those people and families that struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table for their loved ones. It's painful to go through.
I don't want to get off on too much of a tangent, but for every law passed is another freedom abolished...
It is shameful that in this country approximately 30% of our gross food net goes to waste either from the stores not being able to sell it fast enough or from just being thrown away by the consumers. Why then is it illegal for me to give unwanted or unneeded food to someone who IS in need? It's NOT just adults going hungry either. Many children across this nation of plenty are going hungry and are malnourished at the end of the day. Especially as we are coming upon the holiday season it is more important than ever to dig deep and find your humanity to share with others who haven't received all the blessings we have. If it is too much to give a sandwich to a homeless man, woman, or child, then PLEASE donate to a charitable institution like the Salvation Army that runs soup kitchens across the nation and donates clothing, toys, and food to those in need.
Lastly, if you DO live in one of the large cities that does have a ban for feeding the homeless in place, I urge you to talk with your local representatives to repeal such hateful and biased laws. This has been the one and only Quiet Mouse 420.
Peace. Love. Respect. Humanity.
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