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Forum Post: Is it a crime to be poor?

Posted 12 years ago on Jan. 19, 2012, 8:55 p.m. EST by lonecrow (0)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

When a person can get arrested for vagrancy and loitering is it illegal to be homeless? Where are the homeless supposed to go when there are so few shelters and a growing number of homeless due to a crumbling economy? Vagrancy and loitering how can those be laws? How can the government supersede its own laws for right to property? A property owner can get fined and lose their property for allowing vagrants on their property. Is this truly the land of America? Where in the constitution does it say that poverty is illegal? And for those who have never been detained jail is not a place to be.

28 Comments

28 Comments


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[-] 7 points by 1169 (204) 12 years ago

The crime ought be that there even are homeless people.

[-] 3 points by mserfas (652) from Ashland, PA 12 years ago

You are absolutely correct. While OWS may have lost bids to occupy many public spaces, this understanding is what they have won from the effort.

One of two things must happen: either we reach a merciful understanding as a society and end this injustice before the numbers of the poor and maltreated grow even further --- or we look on idly as they find someone who is willing to respect their dignity as human beings, whether that is radical Islamism or the Mexican cartels or even some foreign nation seeking to destabilize the country. We ignore the poor at our peril; we risk ending up like some admonitory example out of the Book of Isaiah.

[-] 3 points by beautifulworld (23822) 12 years ago

We have truly lost our way.

[-] 2 points by JPB950 (2254) 12 years ago

Cities and towns don't want to look at the homeless, they don't want to be reminded that they are there. New laws against camping, even on private property are appearing in many cities. Towns don't have the money for shelters and no one wants to see their taxes go up. There doesn't seem to be any answer to the problem only reasons or excuses why it can't be fixed.

[-] 2 points by cJessgo (729) from Port Jervis, PA 12 years ago

Yes this is truly America. Are new to this country? You thought that you lived in the land of the free?Sorry to burst your bubble but your not free.You do not have many rights and the ones you do are being removed. And if you complain you will also be jailed

[-] 1 points by bigbangbilly (594) 12 years ago

It is more like they can make money from the homeless and then those that own prisons use a broken glass fallacy based argument and "shelter" to justify it. For some places with 3 strikes laws this is even more extreme. Thus tax money and/or prison labor.

[-] 1 points by iwantfreemoneynow (58) 12 years ago

I'm truly surprised our great liberals nationwide haven't mobilized to take these unfortunates into their homes. It's something we could do in an election year that would truly set us apart from the greedy right.

Let's organize now to "Take home the homeless"!!!

[-] 1 points by gestopomillyy (1695) 12 years ago

" are there no workhouses? are there no prisons? "

[-] 1 points by Lardhead2 (67) 12 years ago

Let's say you have a small business. Maybe a liquor store. And so called homeless tend to hang around out front, driving away customers. This is your livelihood. What do you do?

[-] 1 points by DiMasciosBridge (170) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

Yeah and don't forget.....gOD BLESS america!

[-] 2 points by JesseHeffran (3903) 12 years ago

What if you believe that a nation has to do something worth admiration before you wish blessing upon her?

[-] 1 points by DiMasciosBridge (170) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

right.

[-] 1 points by JesseHeffran (3903) 12 years ago

God bless the world is all that's left. lol

[-] 2 points by DiMasciosBridge (170) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

Amazing right?! The same people that keep repeating god bless america are probably the ones with a bible in hand.

Call me crazy, but I remember something like.....oh.....let's see......oh yeah;

"For God so loved...ameri....(no).....THE WORLD! I say, you almost can't carry on a sane conversation with those kind of folks.

[-] 1 points by JesseHeffran (3903) 12 years ago

I feel you. Maybe that is the great divide that is the left and the right. Just a thought...

[-] 1 points by DiMasciosBridge (170) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

lol A pretty GOOD thought too.

[-] 1 points by ThunderclapNewman (1083) from Nanty Glo, PA 12 years ago

Most probably know these things in the article I've linked below. It's an op ed piece by The Washington Post's DeNeen Brown titled 'The high cost of poverty'

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12022/1204858-109.stm

[-] 1 points by opensociety4us (914) from Norwalk, CT 12 years ago

In South Carolina, poverty is a crime, and a very rampant one too.

[-] 1 points by ThunderclapNewman (1083) from Nanty Glo, PA 12 years ago

Many probably know these things already. Take a few minutes and read The Washington Post's DeNeen L. Brown's op ed article titled 'The high cost of poverty"

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12022/1204858-109.stm

[-] 1 points by GirlFriday (17435) 12 years ago

It is illegal to be homeless in some areas. Too, it is not uncommon for sweeps to be done in some areas in homeless shelters. Poverty is a sin.

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

no

but paying off parking tickets is a much more devastating matter

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[-] -1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

I see no problem with anti-vagrancy laws. At the very least it isn't something to condoned.

[-] 2 points by DiMasciosBridge (170) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

Of course you don't see the problem; it hasn't been done unto you.....yet.

[-] 0 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

The only reason it would happen to me is if I put myself there or everything was stolen from me. And both way's I can't really control it and one of them is my fault.

[-] 1 points by DiMasciosBridge (170) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

Everything being "taken" from you is EXACTLY what's going to happen, but you won't see it coming just like you don't, (or choose not to) see the U.S. Spring taking place right before your eyes.

Sorry, but what folks like to say about the 99% is almost naive. What happened to the Jews isn't going to happen to us.

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

That's all good and wonderful but you aren't going to take my money either so piss off.

[-] 1 points by DiMasciosBridge (170) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

You don't have to worry about me. Just look at the people around you. If you open your eyes you'll see what I'm talking about.

[-] -2 points by justhefacts (1275) 12 years ago

So open YOUR homes to the homeless. Why aren't you doing something to get them off the streets?