Texas Woman Feeds the Poor, Fights Fines under Religious Freedom Law
San Antonio cop told Joan Cheever, "Lady, if you want to pray, go to church."
That ticket, as well as what came next, has made Cheever the latest flash point in what has become a contentious national debate over whether local municipalities have the right to criminalize street donations to the homeless and panhandlers. Called “feeding bans,” a growing number of cities have taken up the call to restrict food-sharing, activists say, in an attempt to de-incentivize homelessness. According to an October report by the National Coalition for the Homeless, 71 cities have either passed or attempted to pass an ordinance that restricts food-sharing.
. . . At heart in the issue are two questions. Does giving food or money to the homeless abet, if not perpetuate, homelessness? And does restricting — and criminalizing — such an act constitute an infringement upon someone’s rights? “We’re all human,” said Megan Hustings of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “Giving someone a sandwich at a park is not going to keep them in homelessness; it’s not encouraging anyone to remain homeless. This is just an act of charity, and do we really want to criminalize that in our society? This is a moral issue.“
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