by PJ Grube | August 11th, 2010
Sleeping Ban
Editorial Comment
It seems most people see the sleeping ban protest as counter culture or aberrant behavior. But really it is a civil rights issue. The argument tends to be a society can’t have people sleeping all over the place, because of sanitation, public safety and littering or criminal drug use. Actually we already have laws in relation to those issues and more. What is at issue here is an actual ban on sleeping, a necessary requirement of life. A free and open society is not for the use of only a chosen segment of the community, nor is law tailored only to one segment of the population. Because the people who are sleeping may be individuals society holds in less favor or have negative feeling about, it is even more reason the ban is a civil rights issue.
It is the obligation of civil society to care for the rights of its entire people. It is the responsibility of the individual to participate in that society. It is the responsibility of concession (business) to provide reasonable services to those it attracts. All are culpable, none excluded, all are served and all are in service. We are participants together. We have individual rights and behaviors. It is also true we should be tolerant of behavior contra to our own, respecting the rights of others. There are behaviors that are unlawful and illegal. We have private property laws, ingress egress laws, curfews laws, sanitation, litter and drug use laws. These should all be sufficient to curb the unwanted behavior. A ban on sleeping is wrong.
Inform to Change ™
© 2010 Fresh Ground News™
Inform to Change ™
© 2010 Fresh Ground News™
