What stops a 90 year old WWII vet? Not a damn thing, not even the law. Ft. Lauderdale, high on the Scrooge list this year, passed a law recently to stop feeding the homeless on the streets. This law went with the laws banning the homeless from sleeping in public and having possessions in public.
The city even arrested a homeless person for speaking at a meeting honoring National Homeless Week. Broward Circuit Judge Thomas Lynch tried to put the ruling on hold so there could be discussing on the topic, but this was overturned.
Arnold Abbott has been feeding the homeless for many years and kept at the work despite the ruling. For his efforts, he has been arrested several times for continuing his lawbreaking. However, he is determined to continue his work despite the ban.
He believes the city knows its wrong and he won’t back down. Just in time for Christmas, the people of the city protested. In light of the protests, the courts have decided to suspend the law until February 5th, 2015. The law will go into effect after this unless the issue can be resolved.
The suspension will allow Abbott to continue his charity work throughout Christmas and the New Year. Yet, Abbott doesn’t intend to quit his work any time soon, so we will have to see if Ft. Lauderdale is willing to make a 90 year old war hero a jailbird.