continuing proofs America is wacko [2]

David H wrote:

Bluebottle wrote:Ah, your welcome.  And I learned something about how the Americans handle this stuff too, which was interesting.

Do you mean about with the shotgun?

(Shotguns are a form of free speech too, at least around here )

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Im a pro European. Scotland as majority is by about 60 to 40. Its England who want to take us all out of it.

I think there are a lot of problems, both corruption of the usual illegal sort, but also fo the lining their own pockets through loop holes kind- like turning up and signing in for a meeting, leaving after five minutes, having a slap up lunch on tax payers expense and spent the afternoon with friends sightseeing then claim a full days wage for being in the meeting because the record shows you were there because you signed in. There seems a bit too much of that sort going on.

But I see these things as problems to be addressed not reasons to quit as the overall principles are worth the effort and worth the fight.
And I really dont like the thought of going to a situation where the highest court I can appeal to is the UK one, and no higher, and there is no independent judiciary to judge the honesty of my governments actions.
I think thats a principle we can't afford to lose, especially in light of the comments on the BBST on the other issue under discussion, and my and Azriel's opinion of the UK justice system. A commonly held opinion in the UK among many people.

The thought of the UK judiciary being the only legal check on government is frightening, this is the same judiciary who backed Blair in declaring the Iraq war a legal war under the UN article, when everyone and their cat knew it wasn't.

Bluebottle wrote:Wouldn't that mean we would have to quarantine you too though?

halfwise wrote:Good luck trying to keep Norc in quarantine. It's been tried.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -

Fort Lauderdale police charged three men -- including two pastors and a 90-year-old man -- for feeding the homeless in public on Sunday, the first such cases made by the city after the a new ordinance effectively banning public food sharings took effect Friday.

The first to be charged was homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, who has been feeding the homeless in Fort Lauderdale for more than 20 years. Also cited were two Christian ministers -- Dwayne Black, pastor of The Sanctuary Church in Fort Lauderdale, and Mark Sims of St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Coral Springs.

All three men face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

"One of the police officers said, 'Drop that plate right now,' as if I were carrying a weapon," said Abbott, who runs a nonprofit group called Love Thy Neighbor, Inc. "It's man's inhumanity to man is all it is."

In 1999, the city tried to stop Abbott from feeding the homeless on Fort Lauderdale Beach, prompting a lawsuit from Abbott, which he won. Now he said he will fight the municipal ordinance charge and be forced to take the city back to court.

"I’m going to have to go to court again and sue the city of Fort Lauderdale -- a beautiful city," said Abbott. "These are the poorest of the poor, they have nothing, they don't have a roof over their heads. How do you turn them away?"

Abbott said he won't turn them away and is planning to bring food to the beach this Wednesday evening with the expectation that he may be hit with another charge.

"I don't do things to purposefully aggravate the situation," said Abbott. "I'm trying to work with the city. Any human has the right to help his fellow man."

halfwise wrote:It could be a public health thing: unless properly done food distribution can cause sickness, hence the reason restaurants must be licensed.  But the way the ordinance is presented it looks like it could be used to ban picnics, etc.  Ft Lauderdale needs to explain itself.