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by Vampyre Bat on October 28th, 2008
Yes I do. There are many reasons for homelessness and it is not criminal in my opinion.
by Shiloh on November 2nd, 2008
Yes, I really do. Being poor, losing everything you own, is bad enough for two lifetimes. It shouldn't be a crime, too. That report is so sad. What's really criminal is the heartlessness, not homelessness.
by philosopher-saint on October 29th, 2008
Reprehensible and abhorent.
by HaoieZ on October 29th, 2008
Making it illegal doesn't make the problem go away, simple as that.
by Pixie - jeg er elsket on October 28th, 2008
Well in some ways, putting them in jails is good.
They get 3 regular meals and a place to sleep.
But i do not look down on homeless people, i know they have their own personal reasons and im not going to judge.
BUT if i was homeless and did not know when i would eat, i would want to go to jail =/
by technios on October 28th, 2008
being homeless is not a crime... its just every option that they have left that is criminal... A sad cycle
by john pennington on November 2nd, 2008
To show you just how desperate some homeless people are.....
They will assault a police officer, just to go to jail to get out of the cold.
Most homeless people are not criminals and they should not be treated as such.
by TAPriceCTR s son is wearing his COAT on October 29th, 2008
20% of americas homeless are fulltime employed. I would like to criminalize the wages half of americans are reduced to.
by val gal on October 29th, 2008
Did they wake up one morning and decide to be homeless? I don't think so.
by Grammy Robin on October 29th, 2008
So, their life sucks, (just about, but not quite) so let's just make it even worse.
That article makes me want to puke!
"placing restrictions on providers serving food to poor and homeless persons in public spaces." WTF is wrong with this world!!!!!
by Teri on October 29th, 2008
It is ridiculous...it is not addressing the issue....just trying to rid their area of it....make it someone else's problem...
by Sheila3444 on October 29th, 2008
It's very unjust. People become homeless for a variety of reasons, and most of them are not for criminal acts. Our present economy isn't helping matters at all.
by Symbeline on October 29th, 2008
Very much so. Let's look at this;
--28% prohibit “camping” in particular public places in the city and 16% had city-wide prohibitions on “camping.”
27% prohibit sitting/lying in certain public places.
39% prohibit loitering in particular public areas and 16% prohibit loitering city-wide.
43% prohibit begging in particular public places; 45% prohibit aggressive panhandling and 21% have city-wide prohibitions on begging. --
Lying and sitting in public areas? How about these people concentrate on murder or something?
Most homeless folk are not given a chance to try and fix themselves up. Nobody is going to give them a job, or the necessary means to look for one such as acceptable clothing, food or shelter.
And the ones who suffer from psychological health disorders, as is often the case, are usually not taken care of, accepted in any facilities which has for profession to treat, or at least, monitor severe mental health issues...and how can we possibly label them as "criminals" when a lot of them are not even aware of what they're doing?
It makes absolutely no sense, though I suppose the populace does need a firm approval by the government that things are under control and being resolved, because the homeless frighten a lot of people, even when they don't do anything except sit there and starve.
I don't even see this as a response; how the hell do you want to charge someone a fine if they have no money? But, the government also doesn't want to pay for either care or prison to keep these people off the street, so it goes back to the social illusion that the matter is being controlled, which it isn't, and even if it is illegal, that's not going to solve any itinerance problem, and everybody knows it. Kinda reminds me of how people blame social violence on video games.
I think it's totally unjust, but on the other hand, I can't actually think of any solution, either. :(
by Someguy on October 28th, 2008
Knowing that about 70% of homeless are mentally ill and can't accept help for extended periods of times, I don't see another option. We can't keep them in a home against their will.
by Dahn Batchelor on November 6th, 2008
There was a time in Canada when it was an offence to be homeless. That silly law disappeared about half a century ago. It should have disappeared long before that. However, many homeless people are beggars on the street and although there is no law prohibiting begging on the street or in a public place in Canada, it is an offence if the beggar impedes traffic on the road or pedestrians on the sidewalks. It is sad to see homeless people sleeping on park benches or in sleeping bags on a busy sidewalk. It is not an offence to do so providing the homeless person isn't impeding pedestrians which they generally are not. If a homeless person is begging right next to the entrance to a store, the owner can call the police who will tell the beggar to move on.
by alrod0418 on November 2nd, 2008
YES WHATS CRIMINAL IS THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK BY LOCKIN THEM UP AGAINST THERE WILL.PEOPLE THINK THEY DONT MIND BECAUSE THEY'LL HAVE A PLACE TO STAY .THESE PEOPLE NEED OUR HELP AND COMPASSION NOT A JAIL CELL. THEY HAVE MORE PROMBLEMS [DRUGS ,ALCOHOL. NO JOB TAKE YOUR PICK .THAN MOST
by tomsims on October 29th, 2008
Yes. Everyone has to be somewhere.
If we lived in the open like some places in the world, a person could construct a lean-to, call it home, and not be bothered.
We have fenced and boxed things in and have walled some folks out.
Homelessness is a societal problem, but it is not a criminal issue.
by MrJosh on October 29th, 2008
Yes, it is. Also, what does it accomplish?
by WoOZackWoO on October 29th, 2008
That's just pure evil.
by shammers still slogging along on October 29th, 2008
It's the same old "powerful vs the powerless." Homeless people give up their power when they choose to be homeless. The ones in my neighborhood are alcoholics . . . don't bother anyone . . . . live under the bridge . . . but most people do not want unclean, drunken tramps living within 500 yards of their home. Most of these people do not want to live within any type of structure. That's why they live the way they do. I'm not stating this as fact . . . just my observation. And I realize not very homeless person has chosen that. I'm talking about the ones who live on the streets . . . not the ones in shelters.
by Bull wears a COAT of many colours on October 28th, 2008
Absolutely. Sometimes life just takes you in that direction and you have no choice. That doesn't mean that you have to give up and it shouldn't mean that you are a criminal.
by prisoner on October 28th, 2008
umm.. yes..
more of the same corruption within government systematically conditioning people to become homeless from the beginning and wanting to make slaves of of them..
it will only get worse..
by kybear on October 16th, 2009
most localities have had laws against loitering for decades.
by malevolentbutticklis on November 2nd, 2008
You asked an incorrect question. They are criminalizing nuisances that homeless people create such as begging and sleeping on the sidewalk. These things should be illegal.
by Baccduckus is a Carbonproduct on October 28th, 2008
"These measures prohibit activities such as sleeping/camping, eating, sitting, and begging in public spaces, usually including criminal penalties for violation of these laws."
With so much other help available, I'm not sure I would want to make things any easier for someone who isn't pulling their weight in society.
I would like to see more of a push to give them somewhere to collect mail and use as an address for job hunting. It's by no means impossible to get a job when homeless, but I can see how it would seem so if you were homeless. A helping hand in that direction would be nice, but sleeping in public, camping on the side of the freeway (I've seen it several times), loitering in general, and certainly begging are not OK with me.
by DudeLer 2 on October 28th, 2008
its sleeping in public that is the crime.
by sooz74 on October 12th, 2009
Yes. There are few people who are intentionally homeless or live that way due to complete laziness (I know many would disagree with me). The majority of the homeless population are on the streets due to addiction, mental health issues, and abuse. Many of these people end up in prisons due to a lack of social support. Why not invest money into supports that can help people before they hit rock bottom. I am not so naive to think this will "save" everyone, but opprtunities and support for those vulnerable to homelessness would not only be a more humane approach, but would cut down on costs in the long run.
by itisihere on October 12th, 2009
What kind of person would even suggest such a stupid idea?
by dead leaves raked in a pile on August 22nd, 2009
It is utterly absurd. There is enough stigma attached to it without adding criminality.
However, since the jails are profitable privately run institutions, the more the merrier.
but there has to be a more humane way to accommodate those who for whatever reason fail to navigate the minefield we call society.
by john pennington on August 20th, 2009
The vast majority of homeless people are not criminals.
I have met with many at their homeless camps.
Some homeless people are well-educated and just gave up on life, because of mistakes they made in their marriage or because of their past criminal record. no one will hire a convicted criminal.
I can just see arresting a man and his children, just because they are homeless.
I do not agree with this, at all.
I will agree to giving some of the homeless a night in jail just to be fed and safe for one night.
I know there are a lot of homeless people out there and their numbers are not going get smaller.
Its is a growing problem.
Arresting them is not the answer.
by MicrocosmicOrbit on August 22nd, 2009
Yes but it the best solution the government has. What does that tell ya?
by SABOTEUR on October 12th, 2009
"Unjust" is an understatement.
Try "utterly ridiculous".
by Kat on October 16th, 2009
Absolutely!!! There but for the grace of God .....
by MicrocosmicOrbit on August 20th, 2009
Yes, but jail for the night gives you a bed and mabe a meal in the morning.
by shaggy44 on December 7th, 2009
To criminalizes homelessness is exstreamly unjust and unconsituional in America. However; it has been aloude to happen with camping, lotering, and sit lay law. America is suppost to be a free nation so to say you must have money or your a criminal is wrong. choose or having to live with out a home should not be a criminal act because that choose alone can only hurt the individual whom is doing so.
by Michaelemery on December 1st, 2009
Surely, most homeless folks want to do better. They mostly dont enjoy having noplace to be..I was homeless once in New Mexico, had a drug problem, and got my self together by making the decision to not go down the same path over and over..Its an internal thing..And it sure does not make me a criminal.We will solve this issue thru compassion, NOT aggression.
by lonelydragon on October 16th, 2009
Yes, I do. Maybe I am naive, but I cannot imagine a person choosing to be homeless, so obviously most people are homeless because they are in a hole financially and can't pull themselves back out. Sometimes I wonder if people are hostile to the homeless because they fear that the same could happen to them one day...
by Wind in the Willow on October 16th, 2009
Homless people are not committing any crime. They are probably victims of many crimes against them if anything.
Why are homeless people homeless?
by Marky Mark on October 3rd, 2011
| 2 people like this
Providing you believe in the American Dream, what has happened to it? Does it still exist? If not, what killed it?
by GibsonGuy on August 15th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
What is sadder: a homeless man, a homeless woman, or a homeless child? Why?
by genericdust on October 21st, 2011
| 2 people like this
What if busloads of homeless people were relocated to a ghost town? Does this solve anything?
by genericdust on September 28th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
Which sounds better: "bum" or "homeless person" or "Occupy Wall Street protester" ?
by purplecows on October 12th, 2011
| 4 people like this
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