Food Not Bombs: What the Mayor Thinks

• I appreciate your compassionate take on this problem, as well as your concern for your family which doesn't go overboard, which isn't fully based in fear as it is with so many people in the community who simply can't psychically deal with the existence of homeless people.  But the problem today is way beyond the stereotypical, drunk and scrungy chronic homeless person - who also deserves compassion! - but includes growing numbers of homeless who are victims of the horrors of economic depression, having lost a job or a home.  The downward spiral is well-greased these days.  And the system, frankly, does not give a sh**.  Come check out a FNB sharing some day, Sam.  Fridays after 5 at Stranahan.  You'll meet some great people!  And bring your kids.

• The thing - meaning the task force - actually has been kind of stalled throughout its tenure.  When I wrote about it well over a year ago, it was stalled, and for essentially the same reasons it's stalled now.  People I interviewed who know homelessness issues inside and out predicted that the task force would fail.  Because the intent of the fixed feeding location is to control the lives of the homeless, and you don't help people by trying to control them, regardless of the fact that they do need help.  If it doesn't come from compassion, it will be twisted.  So it will be twisted.  IN our society, at every level of power, there's never an acknowledgment of root causes of the very problems for which the victims subsequently get blamed.  Homelessness has antecedents in the economic imbalance of a system of haves and have-nots which is perfectly content with throwing people away.  Until the system itself is guided by compassion and reason nothing will change, but in the meantime we're all very fortunate that some people and groups like Food Not Bombs are filling the void. It's incumbent on the rest of us to challenge, and change, the system.

• Stefan, another good little piece.  But I'm not clear what argument Robin Martin is referencing as invalid here: "'Until the day arises when people are only on the street because they choose to be, that argument is invalid,'" says Robin Martin of HOPE South Florida, a coalition of the area's largest churches working to help the homeless."  Maybe I missed it but it comes off as a bit of a non sequitur. Could you please clarify.

• "The thing is kind of stalled," says Seiler. I think this is his legacy. Here is another issue he could come out as a really good guy on. If Jack Seiler had any common sense or an ounce of empathy, he would stop listening to his advisers, and do the right thing and listen to his constituents. What Mayor 'Doesn't do Jack" Seiler forgot to mention was that he is also working on passing an ordinance to make sharing food with the homeless illegal. If only there were more kids these days who cared about the making the world a better place and helping the homeless like Food Not Bombs does. Arresting and targeting young kids just for sharing their food with the homeless is disgraceful. I continue to be amazed at how incredibly detached Mayor Jack Seiler is from any and all day to day issues, that affect all of us. Without a doubt he hates baby sea turtles and apparently the homeless too. Shame on you Jack.

• "hasn't had any run-ins with them?" i've stood not more than 4 feet away from seiler advocating for food not bombs along with several others on multiple occasions telling him straight to his face that what he's doing is wrong. funny how i seem to remember that perfectly well. in fact, the last time i told him people were going to go to jail for no reason over his stupid discrimination and within 10 days i was wrongfully arrested in downtown fort lauderdale about a block from stranahan park. FUCK YOU mr mayor, and your despicable toad-man that follows you, i'm almost certain he's not human but everyone refers to him as harry stewart. i hope you're reincarnated as a baby sea turtle, only to be crushed into the gravel of A1A ...

• Wow. I expected to learn that Jackie Boy eats the homeless.

• I don't know how anyone can be against feeding the homeless, but the problem comes with the fact that many (most) homeless are suffering from mental illness and/or serious addiction issues and many act out in ways that are not appropriate for parks and recreation areas.  I've got a park near my home and there is a group that provides regular meals on Sat. a.m. which corresponds with my trip thru the park to the library.  I am kind and repectful to all humans, homeless or not, and I think they have every right to be in the park, but they are not always respectful in return and if I had children I would not permit them to walk through this park to the library because of the presence of homeless. We also have a church on the edge of our neighborhood that allows the homeless to sleep on its property, these folks engage in bodily functions and are disruptive but its not trespassing because the church allows them but then the church won't police their behavior and the police feel like their hands are tied because the behavior is going on on private property but in full view of the neighbors. The problem is complex and we really do need better services for homeless, especially single homeless men. 

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