ACLU Threatens to Sue City (Homeless have a constitutional right to defecate on streets)

WOAI ^ | 4 Feb 2005 | Jim Forsyth

[Alissa]

The American Civil Liberties Union is threatening to sue the City of San Antonio over those four new laws passed by City Council last night designed to restrict the activities of homeless people downtown, 1200 WOAI news reported today.

"We have a fundamental problem with this," Texas ACLU Exective Director Will Harrell told 1200 WOAI news. "We are invested with certain freedoms on public lands.

"Just because a homeless person may be an eyesore that doesn't divest them of their fundamental Constitutional rights."

With only west side Councilwoman Patti Radle, a lifelong advocate for the poor, voting no, council approved laws banning urinating and defecating on downtown streets, as well as laws making so called 'aggressive panhandling' a crime.

"What are we doing to the homeless?" Radle asked. "We are X-ing them out of the neighborhood, and pushing them out into other areas."

Several downtown groups have been pushing for months to get tougher laws on the books restricting the activities of transients downtown.

Harrell says the answer is not to 'sweep the homeless out of the way.'

"The way for the city to deal with this is to provide affordable housing, as well as additional downtown restroom facilities," he said.

He said he'll keep an eye on how the city is dealing with this issue, and stresses that a lawsuit against the city is an 'option of last resort.'

[Mark in the Old South]

I don't know what to say about this one. After all if they are homeless it does not matter what the law of men says, mother nature will have her say and she is one noisy woman. It seems there needs to be some solution to this, I am sure business do not want homeless folks camping out in their facilities, nor do I like the idea of indiscriminate human waste just anywhere. We are talking a public health risk here so the ACLU is all wet on this one. Where is the sane middle ground?

[henkster]

Oh, yes, I love it!

[Lee Heggy]

"We are invested with certain freedoms on public lands."

OK, round them up and take them waaaaay out there on public lands and let them make their 'investment' there.

[tfecw]

hmm...Would that be destruction of property? I might have a restroom situation while i happen to be driving through the Limo Libs neck of the woods. (don't see too many port-o-potties on mansion row)

[YOUGOTIT]

Some lawyer at the ACLU needs money to make a payment on his/her house/yacht/boat/summerhome/Europeanhouse or whatever. I still say we need to sue the Communist ACLU and get our tax money back.

[nuke rocketeer]

I agree 100%. Let 'em crap and pee in their front doorway! The ACLU has now gone so far off the deep end that no sane, civilized person can support anything they do any more.

[Marauder]

It's a health issue. Get over it, ACLU, and try to find something productive to do.

[N. Theknow]

"The way for the city to deal with this is to provide affordable housing, as well as additional downtown restroom facilities," he said.

OK, Mr. Harrell. We'll put in the bathrooms if you volunteer to clean them every day.

[Tamar1973]

And let the ACLU provide the "affordable housing" too!

With all the taxpayer money they steal, they can afford to put them up in their own offices, I'm sure.

[AppyPappy]

The ACLU fights just as hard to allow bums to crap on the street ad they fight to keep students from reading a Bible.

[nuke rocketeer]

Excellent idea! and Cheap one too.

[newfrpr04]

Rent a van, entice the homeless with food, better shelter a couple of bucks, bottle of ripple and then drop them off in front of their new home - ACL offices. Maybe they will let them use their bathrooms or take them home . Too bad someone can investigate them and

[Howlin]

Oh, look; the homeless are back.

[Argh]

Then we'd find out pretty quickly just how much the ACLU "cares".

[sheik yerbouty]

The homeless have a right to defecate in the ACLU office.

[DoctorMichael]

Shame on the ACLU!

[goldstategop]

If the ACLU feels socialism is so important, they ought to bankroll the cost of building "affordable housing" and bathrooms for bums. They should be prosecuted under the RICO statutes for attempted extortion of hard-working taxpayers.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."