The more I learn about the laws that govern this country, the more apparent it becomes that this place is a scam run by the most heartless of people.
A Texas man was found not guilty of breaking a law against feeding homeless people outside a public library in Houston, bringing to a close the first trial to be held after dozens of tickets were issued against volunteers for the group Food Not Bombs.
To be clear, Food Not Bombs has provided meals four nights a week outside the Houston Public Library for decades without incident. But the city posted a notice at the site warning that police would soon start issuing citations, and the first came in March. Once the floodgates opened, they were unlikely to stop, as the organization has since been cited dozens of times. Phillip Picone, the Food Not Bombs volunteer, had received a criminal citation back in March after police allegedly told the group to move their operations to another location. As of last week, group members have received 45 tickets, each seeking $254, for a tidy sum of $11,430 for continuing to pass out meals at the library.
This verdict is the latest flashpoint in the ongoing debate in many American cities over whether feeding people experiencing homelessness is an act of charity or a crime. As absurd as it sounds, there are people who truly believe that being a decent human being and helping those in need actually raises health and safety concerns among people who live and work nearby.
“This law that the city has passed is absurd. It criminalizes the Samaritan for giving.”
- Lawyer//critical thinker Paul Kubosh, who represented volunteer Phillip Picone
The city of Houston claims it will continue to “vigorously pursue violations of its ordinance relating to feeding of the homeless,” which just shows how little they understand charity work.
Side Items
Bozo Extradited: An American fugitive accused of faking his own death to avoid a rape charge in Utah can be extradited back to the US, a judge in Scotland ruled yesterday, calling the man “as dishonest and deceitful as he is evasive and manipulative.” The wanted man, known in Scotland as Nicholas Rossi, fought his return since being arrested in December 2021 at a Glasgow hospital, where he was being treated for COVID-19. He repeatedly appeared in court, and in several bizarre television interviews, in a wheelchair using an oxygen mask and insisted he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who had never set foot on American soil. But Scottish judge Norman McFadyen had previously dismissed the fugitive’s claims of mistaken identity as “implausible” and “fanciful” after the man claimed he had been framed by authorities who had tattooed him and surreptitiously taken his fingerprints while he was in a coma to connect him to Rossi. At some point you’ve gotta face the music, and this idiot remains unwilling
Women’s World Cupdate: It might just be the year of the underdog folks. Jamaica, a team that literally had to set up a GoFundMe to help pay for their appearance at this World Cup (yes, exactly like the film Cool Runnings), held on to a tie with powerhouse Brazil, securing their place in the final 16 and sending Brazil home in the process. Meanwhile, Morocco’s women’s team is evidently picking up where the men’s team left off last year, as they surprised fans by moving through to the knockout stages at the expense of Germany, a traditionally strong squad. In all likelihood, these teams won’t win the tournament, but this level of parity is a clear indication that the sport has grown globally at a rapid pace
Iran Shutdown: The entire country has decided enough is enough. Iran has announced that Wednesday and Thursday of this week will be public holidays due to "unprecedented heat". State media has advised the elderly and people with health conditions to stay indoors, as some southern cities have reported temperatures in excess of 123°F. Pay attention, this is what climate collapse looks like folks