🚀 go-pugleaf

darrow@oneillaw.com (M O'Neill) writes:

> >And so, honoring their liberties, you proceed to treat them in the
> >most degrading way possible. Does it also violate their constitutional
> >rights to offer them a place in a sheltered group home or sanatorium
> >for the mentally ill and to give them the medical drugs they need?
> 
> no it does not, it only violates their rights to force them to accept
> these offers against their will.

Then why are these offers not made, like they are in most other countries?

> >The fact is that society does not offer the poor mentally ill any
> >place attractive enough so that they would stay there out of their
> >free will. 
> 
> Really, I think you've got your mind made up about these issues but
> don't have any facts or experience to back them up.  Most of the poor
> in the U.S., if you define poor as receiving welfare, do not live in
> the streets.

That is a rather convenient definition, because it excludes the
homeless (which don't receive welfare). By any reasonable definition
though, the homeless constitute the poorest segment of society. And
there is not question that this segment is bigger in the States than
in other industrialized countries.

> >And as we are talking about constitutional liberties, what about the
> >right to free speech? Why are they not even allowed to beg for money?
> 
> O brother you are misinformed.  Walk down 9th avenue in New York and
> you'll see they have no problem begging for money.  The courts have
> consistently supported their right to beg.

You seem to be a lawyer, so you should know that there are several
municipalities which prohibit begging. Los Angeles being one of them.
The U.S. Supreme Court has let these ordinances stand.

-- 
 Axel Boldt  **  axel@uni-paderborn.de  **  math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/