Officials in Boise, Idaho want to end homelessness on the streets. However, if you’re thinking they want to provide shelter or lend a helping hand, think again. Actually, they want to make being homeless on the streets illegal — and they’re going all the way to the US Supreme Court to get their way.
Lifestyle
After a 10-year legal fight, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Boise late last year and determined that their desire to clear homeless encampments from city streets would be an unconstitutional form of punishment. Now, Boise has petitioned the Supreme Court to hear their case in the hopes that the high court will allow city officials to kick homeless people and their tents and camp sites and boxes for homes out for good.
Boise will argue that the homeless are privatizing public property by building elaborate makeshift “homes” on sidewalks, under bridges, and in public parks then never leaving. Some are hotwiring to the city electrical supply and officials will claim the growing homeless population living on the streets has become a public nuisance.
However, opponents of the Boise petition will argue that limited shelter space fills up quickly and the homeless regularly find themselves with nowhere else to go. To make it a crime for them to fall asleep on the street when there is no other option would be the pinnacle of cruel and inhumane punishment.
Interestingly, Los Angeles County has filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court and will join Boise in their petition to overturn the 9th Circuit Court ruling and permit any city to kick the homeless off any street in America.
In an appeal known as Martin vs. the city of Boise other cities and counties are lining up to support Boise in their quest to send the homeless packing.
Although the Supreme Court will have the final ruling, Boise and LA County have yet to explain a very important part of their petition. If they are successful in kicking the homeless off the streets, then where will they all go?
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To make it a crime for them to fall asleep on the street when there is no other option would be the pinnacle of cruel and inhumane punishment. […] -DJ
This is heartbreaking. Clearly, WE have a growing humanitarian Crisis on our hands all across this country (even among college students – H/T: DJ). But instead of state and city leaders working together to try to effectively address the root-causes of this growing Crisis, those leaders propose making homelessness a crime?!
So being cruel and inhumane IS the American way now? Yes.
And we wonder how a heartless creature like Trump ended up in the White House…smh!