Posted on 06/10/2005 1:58:53 PM PDT by MRMEAN
Panhandlers are uniting to defend their right to beg for change in a class-action suit — claiming they've been wrongly arrested in violation of their constitutional rights. The lawsuit filed yesterday in Manhattan federal court alleges panhandlers who are begging peacefully are routinely arrested and prosecuted — despite a federal judge's 1992 ruling that declared the city law behind these arrests was unconstitutional.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
About a year ago Linda Vester on FOX exposed a panhandler who happened to live in a lower Manhattan apartment yet begged for change around the city.
Someone should contact the senators from New York and ask them for their opinion about this type of lawsuit./S
NYPost won't let me read the story unless I subscribe. :(
Where I live, the city businesses started a campaign to urge people to give to charities, not to the panhandlers. I think the slogan was something like, the more you give change, the more thing stay the same -- in other words, if you help out a panhandler with money directly, he is not going to help himself...he will not take advantage of social programs that would educate him, get him a job, sober him up and make him a productive member of society again.
Of course, assorted groups of "do-gooders" got into a tizzy over that campaign....supposedly it would violate the panhandler's "rights" to choose to walk the streets begging for money, rather than taking advantage of the helping hands available out there. In other words, the bums have the right to stay bums...and expect others to support them forever.
I quit giving money to panhandlers ages ago. I take care of me first and whatever is left over, I give to organizations that do good. If government would get out of the charity business and give me some of my tax money back, I would continue to support those organizations.
This is a lesser-known amendement in the bill of rights. Sandwiched between the first and second amendment, written in the margin of the original document, is amendemnt 1.5: "The right to pester people for money."
LOL!!!!
holy sheepsh*t, Batman - there really is NO other reaction to this ridiculous story!!!
I've heard this story all my life...My dad had just returned from the Korean War. He was walking downtown, saw a blind man with a cup of pencils. My dad gave him all the money he had in his pocket.
A few hours later the "blind man" ran a red light and T-boned my dad's car in the intersection. The "blind man" was driving a new '54 Caddy.
I've been taught never, ever give these people money.
I'm suprised they aren't suing citizens who refuse to give them money.
This is a lesser-known amendement in the bill of rights. Sandwiched between the first and second amendment, written in the margin of the original document, is amendemnt 1.5: "The right to pester people for money."
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Where I live, the city fathers had to set up ordinances -- the beggars weren't allowed to block doors to businesses or accost a person...had to keep a respectable distance too. Good thing -- once, I nearly tripped over some bum who stepped in front of me, not begging, but actually DEMANDING that I give him money. Needless to say, I shoved him aside and walked on.
But we still have an awful lot of these folks all over the place...it detracts from businesses and ruins neighborhoods. I used to feel sorry for them; now I don't.
What happened with your Dad?
I'll give money to people on the street if they are doing something. Plastic bucket drummers, mimes, dancers, sax players, singers -- do SOMETHING and I'll do something in return. Be part of the city, not just a leech!
good grief, can't we just give these idiots a one way ticket to canada and get rid of them.
Well of course he caused an auto accident! He was blind for Pete's sake!! Have you no pity?
I'll give money to people on the street if they are doing something. Plastic bucket drummers, mimes, dancers, sax players, singers -- do SOMETHING and I'll do something in return. Be part of the city, not just a leech!
***
We don't have too many of those. Used to have one fella -- guess he was maybe middle aged at the time -- played a sax for whatever you could spare. He was good too. Don't know why he couldn't make it as a professional musician, or maybe he did, and lost it all. I used to make requests...or sometimes he'd see me coming and start playing something he remembered I liked. Haven't seen him for a long time...wonder what happened to him.
Oh, good grief.
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