Notes on Quality of Life Laws – Speech Houston has close to 10,000 homeless with 1 in 5 living on the streets. Quality of life policing, some say can be traced back to New York city under the Giuliani administration of the early 90’s. It is in reference to focusing heavy police attention on normally non-criminal activities such as congregating and/or drinking in public spaces, including minor offenses such as graffiti, public urination, panhandling, littering and unlicensed street vending because, it is assumed that if these offenses are left unchecked that there will be an explosion of serious criminal activity. In addition, it reflects the broken window theory that agrees that that same minor violation proclaims to society that the area is out of control and encourages activity that is more criminal. Let us get out from under the shadow ofthe defiant raised fist and unite under the shadow of the cross. Such policing activity encouraged by the local and outlaying political bodies can have a wide reaching negative impact on the cities, counties, state and ultimately our nation by: 1. Implement ways of shutting down critics of government. *The language behind the phrase charitable meal means that not only are the homeless affected; groups like Occupy would also be able to be starved out -- essentially -- from occupying public properties for too long. 2. Placing more burdens on the city’s legal system. *The City is in dire financial straits, If we cant enforce the laws that are already on the books, why are we even thinking about adding another law to enforce that would only add to the burden of police officers and city officials? - Helena Brown a Houston Council Member pointed out that the new laws regarding 3. Targeting and removing those who detract from the cities beauty, as well as criminalizing those who seek only to help those who are on hard times. * A local couple who spent more than a year trying to help the homeless by feeding 50 to 100 people every night of the week , has been ordered to stop because they didnt have a permit. *The city says its not trying to be the bad guy, and they understand the good the couple is trying to do, but it says its just trying to protect the homeless -- the same people the couple has been trying to help. *Were not trying to break any laws. We want to comply with the city. We want to work with the city because we believe this is in addition to the city of Houston, Bobby Herring said. *So until they work something out, theyll be coming downtown empty-handed. Perhaps these laws do have potential benefit if revised. The fact remains that the potential for abuse and the current evidence of negative impact indicates that these laws are not a valid way of preventing crime. It is not for advanced society to enact laws that burden or torment the innocent; such as those who seek to help the less fortunate. It is in our best interest as a people at this point to ask a serious question of our city, our nation, and ourselves. Let us ponder these laws as we ask,“If in a society based upon and supposedly encourages the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Is it for us to places a boot on the throat of our less fortunate members and hinder them from attempting to be a more productive member of society by criminalizing and demoralizing the homeless and those who seek to help them) in their own minds and that of society?” If we fail to answer correctly then our society is heading down darker path than we are attempting to avoid with laws such as these, which are not well thought out. With the thought of government conspiracies fresh on our minds with the recent spying and wiki scandals and government monitoring of our digital footprints, I want to stress that this is not a call to arms against big brother. However it is a call for Wisdom, unity and compassion to come up with a means to deal with these issues in a way that is befitting an advanced society. Let us get out from under the shadow ofthe defiant raised fist and unite under the shadow of the cross.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 14:10:56 +0000
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