Jay Leonard
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler is defending a recently passed citywide ordinance that essentially bans public food sharing among local citizens.
To be specific, the City of Fort Lauderdale Commission’s decree states that groups distributing food outdoors will have to provide portable toilets for use by those receiving the subsidies and even the workers distributing them.
“Just because of media attention, we don’t stop enforcing the law,” Mayor Seiler recently told ABC News. “We enforce the laws here in Fort Lauderdale. Providing [the homeless] with a meal and keeping them in that cycle on the street is not productive.”
Already two pastors and 90-year-old local resident and longtime activist Arnold Abbott have so strongly disagreed with the new enactments they have been criminally charged with violating it. Abbott currently faces up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine on his charges.
Founder of the non-profit “Love Thy Neighbor,” Abbott, is a World War 11 veteran and retired jewelry salesman. He has been serving meals to the homeless for more than 23 years. Abbott recently told reporters he feels the only option he has is to go to court and continue fighting against what he views as unfair policies.
It’s not unfamiliar territory for him. Back in 1999, he sued the City of Fort Lauderdale for trying to prevent him from feeding homeless people on a city beach and ultimately won his case.
“We will continue as long as there is breath in my body,” Abbott now says of preserving his program, and the beachside food-fests he coordinates in conjunction with the 5th Avenue Temple Church of God. “It’s the most gorgeous place. The homeless enjoy the beach, with the same comforts as anyone else. So we feel very strongly that that’s important.”
[Photo Credit: Steve Rhode]
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Jay Leonard.
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I started a fundraiser for Mr. Abbott and would appreciate anyone who can donate to do so. All funds will go directly to Mr. Abbott (less gofundme’s percentage) to help him in his fight with the city.
Even if you can not donate please share the link via your social media and email accounts, as the more eyeballs who read this man’s story the more we can collectively help him in his fight. Link for the fundraiser is:
http://gofund.me/ArnoldAbottDefense
The police state grows.
“Because feeding the homeless should never be a crime”
https://www.causes.com/campaigns/85807-rescind-ban-on-feeding-homeless-in-public-in-ft-lauderdale
Any piece of garbage that does not want to feed our hungry people has no business being in any kind of public office! It sickens me when we r forced to watch bs about starving and abused animals and all the poor starving kids in other countries but we cant take care of the hungry and homeless people here!! Whats wrong with this picture?
Yeah these people are creating terrorist !
“Abbott, is a World War 11 veteran”… lmao. I must been sleeping during the last 9 World Wars. Ms. Sonya, I think you meant to write “World War II”… as in World War 2… not 11