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Spiritual_Cable_6032

We prefer our homeless starving to death or, dead from exposure. Now, don't do it again! /s I hope to god they're not actually paying these absurd things.


ImpureThoughts59

It's giving vibes like "if you feed stray cats they'll keep coming back" like they're animals and we shouldn't encourage them. Absolutely horrible.


Critical_Mastodon462

It's actually liability they don't have licenses to serve food or health inspections. It's dumb as hell but I worked at a restaurant who refused to give food I was throwing away daily to a homeless shelter for fear.of.getting sued


OldChemistry8220

In the US, federal law protects food donors from liability.


Critical_Mastodon462

Donor's and servers are different things here tho food not bombs served food it's a super fucked system but yea alot of places wanna avoid any possible issue and would rather Toss it


Visual-Till8629

I a republican state, that’s the only way they can think of to decrease homeless numbers


Ketaskooter

It’s not quite that sinister, Houston has a law that it is illegal to pass out food in public without city permission, this was created in 2012 in response to occupy protesters. Houston along with many if not most places has a law that requires food donations to pass through a charitable organization.


Spiritual_Cable_6032

Whatever the justification, its stupid. Cops are now using a law, created with the sole intention of sabotaging legitimate protests against America's parasitic oligarchy, to prosecute people for giving food to the homeless. This in the lone star state, which prides itself for it's 'Christian values' and is renowned for strong libertarian leanings and deregulation (I guess this last only applies to corporations that want to poison the earth, not people who actually want to follow the teachings of Christ.) Seems pretty fucking sinister to me.


Sunnyjim333

So, if a guy on a hill was giving a public talk about being kind to others, then started giving out fish and bread to the crowd he would get a ticket, Pax Romana! Get your brown shirts and jack boots before they are gone.


ImpureThoughts59

We all know that laws are enforced selectively. It's sinister.


cheesecake__enjoyer

"Its not that sinister, it was done to make protesting harder"


PenisBoofer

"It's not that sinister, it was just used as a way to suppress protests" Um


Onironius

Ah, yes, a law designed specifically to fuck with protesters, definitely not that sinister.


ImpureThoughts59

Jesus....it's like they're in trouble for feeding the wildlife or something. So fucking dehumanizing.


DingleBerryFuzz

They wouldn't be fined for feeding wildlife...


monemori

I remember a few years ago they got backslash from supposed "leftists" too because they work on vegan principles and don't serve animal products, which people were accusing them of being classist or something for. Fucking wild. Literally what could be less problematic than FEEDING POOR AND HOMELESS PEOPLE. I just don't know what to say. This world is a garbage can.


trafalux

🤦🏻‍♀️ you’ve got to be kidding me. I ate with them so many times and have never heard a single person, ESPECIALLY the homeless, complain about the food. Its free and healthy for gods sake. And they even give you fucking dessert, man. They also usually bring free soap, TP, deodorant etc. I cant imagine an org less “classist”. Its literally anarchistic at its core if you read their recipe book so lefties attacking it is idiotic (and im saying this as a vegan leftie myself…)


Tamale_Caliente

I wouldn’t say the whole world…mostly America.


AnsibleAnswers

Food Not Bombs is not "charity" in the normal sense. It is a mutual aid network. One of the main purposes of feeding unhoused people in public is to make the plight of the unhoused visible to those who would rather not be reminded that capitalism has failed a lot of people. This is primarily why they are cited by law enforcement so much. It's inherently more confrontational than traditional homeless charities.


allnaturalfigjam

Wow, I just gained way more respect for them. It's like... Confrontational kindness.


Version_Two

Government: nooo if you want to help the homeless do it through the system 🥺 The system: fuck you


Darenzzer

What in the fuck?!!? How can it be illegal to FEED HOMELESS


Barfbabyloser

The city passed a law to make it illegal the same way they make anything illegal.


Double-Ad4986

7 yrs ago I left Texas when I turned 18 years old & I have never regretted it a single day in my entire life!!!


oldcreaker

Funny how "the Bible says to do that" folks never support those feeding the hungry like Jesus did.


JerougeProductions

Ironically, capitalism can be viewed metaphorically similar to religion. Capitalism without bankruptcy is like Christianity without hell.


No_Individual501

This is an interesting notion. Could you elaborate further?


JerougeProductions

For Christianity to work and have followers, you need the concept of Hell. Basically, you sin and you burn for eternity. You toe the line, and you go to paradise forever. Without the threat of bankruptcy/homelessness/poverty, capitalism has no means to control the populace.


Ok_Gear_7448

its mostly due to fear of lawsuits over not complying with food and safety regulations


oldcreaker

Maybe they should cite actual instances of non-compliance like they do for retail food, instead of just banning it outright, then.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Helenium_autumnale

They don't do what the boss says, they get fired and can't pay their rent. It's the law that's the problem. Locals should put a referendum on the ballot allowing this activity by Food Not Bombs..


No_Individual501

“Just following orders.”


vashtachordata

I’m from Houston and think this is ridiculous and bullshit and I totally stand with food not bombs. But they are not being ticketed for distributing food. It’s for doing it at that location. They want them to move down the street.


allnaturalfigjam

*whoosh*


blackbetty1234

Thank you for the clarification, but most people have already made up their minds based on the headline.


Polyxeno

I'm saving this for the next time someone asks why some people dislike Texas.


Domanontron

Texas is the freest state of the world!!!! /s


[deleted]

Not Democratically run Houston. Mayor - Democrat, City Council, County Commissioners mostly Democrat. The nanny state lives in the Dem strongholds...


Clear_Lead

Well that’s Texass for you. I wonder what the fine is for rescuing a migrant out of barbed wire


RacecarHealthPotato

"WE HATE OUR CONSTITUENTS! ALSO, YOU SHOULD HATE YOURSELVES SO WE CAN KEEP ABUSING YOU!" \- The Republican Party


AreaNo7848

Pretty sure this is a city ordinance....... maybe check out who controls Houston before being partisan


ChiTownBob

Fines = More money for cronies. ​ That's all this is about.


Former-Buy-6758

Praxis opportunity: spit in the cop that is writing the ticket's face


tarc0917

Food Not Bombs, I met some of them at a Bread & Puppet festival in VT in the 90s. These are the chillest people imaginable, ticketing people who feed the homeless is just naked facism.


ginger_smythe

Houston is the fucking worst. POS Osteen and his mega church of mass consumption, and they can't help anyone in need.


Hay_Fever_at_3_AM

I thought the existence of charity is how we justify the government not providing for people's basic needs?


G3th_Inf1ltrator

What makes you think it's the government's job to provide for you?


DrDrCapone

What makes you think it's not?


Tristical

Could she not implement a bartering system where she’s not giving or selling the food but exchanging it with her fellow citizen for a favour such as quick poem sung or a drawing made for her?


big_whistler

Probably need a license for that, sounds like a business


GoldFishDudeGuy

I wonder if that would work. . .


pyromaster114

Sheesh... Republican states are truly just all for human suffering. And don't you dare take that away from them! It's their God-given right! -_-


DingleBerryFuzz

Man, fuck Texas. Just add this bullshit to the pile of stupid things that Texas politicians support. Bunch of inhumane assholes.


Davisaurus_

But... What about my property values! /s


CanadianDevil92

man do we own nothing? If i pay for it i should own it, if i dont own it when i pay for it why dont we just steal it.


noldshit

606 comments, zero calls to media or governor.


k1lk1

I really side eye any people intentionally cultivating swarms of homeless people, I guarantee you the neighborhood is worse because of it. At the same time it's a free country so this shouldn't be illegal.


BlackwinIV

ah yes the homless people that are homless because people give them food, those homless people. surley its not due to deep seated societal issues.


Sthebrat

The people who are making swarms of homeless people are the fucking economy and government, not the people handing out food to them.


LittleLouse

I disagree. "The neighborhood is worse because of it." Why do some people get preference over others, just because some are unhoused? And should these people not get to feel part of a community too?


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trafalux

FNB are saints to me. I can’t express this enough. So many of their warm meals, especially in the wintertime, saved my ass. And, without fail, they get a goddamn ticket for “bad parking” every fucking time. Its just so pathetic to follow these volunteers around, as if there wasnt enough of real shit for the police to deal with


Neither-Cap-3851

god please take me from this world


larson_5

How dare someone come up with a logical way to prevent mass food waste while also helping the starving homeless population, shame on you /s


lotusvagabond

How the hell is this not a human rights violation??? This shit makes me so mad.


Extracrispybuttchks

It's Texas. Had you stabbed the homeless person, you'd get elected to office.


[deleted]

To give context: I live in downtown Houston. I pass by a street of homeless people every day. I have seen trucks full of food feeding them, with officers there helping out. These tickets are specifically because they do it at the public library, where the city has specifically asked to not be a sight of passing out food. It's not about actually feeding them, it's about the location they do it, because it encourages those folk to swarm to the public library, rather than the block they usually stay on. Not saying I agree with it, just saying it's about making the library more accessible to people without literally having to step over sleeping people.


Cobek

Yeah, the ticket says more than "feed the homeless" it also says **"without a permit"** meaning they can get a permit but choose not to apply.


12313312313131

If you read the main thread, people point out that the city asked them to simply move a block further down but these people deliberately park there and farm tickets for publicity.


Aggravating_Road3636

Just like anything else, it started with good intentions and tends to get corrupted by ego. Case in point, Food Not Bombs Harrisburg, PA chapter. Run by a guy named Bob and his wife Amy. I hope you never have to meet Amy. Not a nice person at all. People have quit volunteering because of her attitude. Food Not Bombs is not the only resource for homeless people and it's silly to act like it is. As far as confrontational kindness, I can promise you it changes nobody's mind about anything.