Homeless=Crime?

I recently came across an article in the Huffington Post titled "Colorado Communities Are Making It a Crime to Be Homeless." The author, Nathan Woodliff-Stanley, explained that communities across the nation have recently passed a wave of statutes that ban people from sleeping in a car, sitting or lying down in public areas, using a blanket or other shelter in a public area, or peacefully asking for donations. These restrictions are borderline cruel and do absolutely nothing to solve the problem at hand. They simply forces the issues onto a neighboring community which then does the same, causing a chain reaction.

Many restrictions will make this a crime.

The article went on to explain that these laws are practically unconstitutional under the First Amendment, something I never would have thought. Looking at them in this new perspective, however, I would have to agree that they are. Just because these people are homeless does not mean that they do not have rights and we therefore cannot treat them like this. Rather than temporarily solving the problem in such a harsh way, we should work to end homelessness forever.

Read Full Story Here