Homeless advocate, 90, gets world attention as Fort Lauderdale tries to stop his outdoor feedings

[madfloridian]

Florida looks foolish again to the world as they keep arresting Arnold Abbott.

Bless this man for his good deeds.



Homeless advocate, 90, gets world attention as Fort Lauderdale tries to stop his outdoor feedings

At the age of 90, Arnold Abbott could be enjoying a quiet retirement, reflecting on his combat service in World War II, writing poetry, or even polishing the sequel to his self-published book, "From Aches To Ecstasy: A Sex Primer For Those Over Fifty."

Instead, the longtime Fort Lauderdale resident is dealing with the demands of celebrity after his insistence on feeding the homeless in defiance of a new city ordinance thrust him into an international spotlight.

"I've had calls from Moscow and Syria. The phone is ringing every 15 seconds," he said this week from the kitchen of his home, a day after police for the second time charged him with violating a new law aimed at the public feeding program he has run since 1991.

"The support has been unbelievable. I am both humbled and exalted by it."

His support on Twitter is amazing.

Tweets about Arnold Abbott

I especially love this tweet from Dublin, Ireland

[msongs]

1. feed the hungry, heal the sick. where have I heard that before? nt

[bobGandolf]

2. He puts us to shame. n/t

[dembotoz]

14. we need to stand with him

[madfloridian]

3. And this tweet from Brussels, Belgium.

https://twitter.com/astroehlein/status/530735047675224064

Way to go Ft. Lauderdale and all the other Florida cities arresting people for feeding the homeless.

Wonder what Jesus would say to that?

[Old Nick]

4. Prick Scott

[sabrina 1]

5. What a wonderful man. Is there a number or someone we can call to try to stop

this from happening? I couldn't believe it when I read about it, that this country has sunk to a new low when you actually have a law forbidding people from being KIND to the most vulnerable among us.

Florida is disgracing this country.

I would love to help this man somehow, does he need donations for his poor homeless friends and if so, does anyone know how we can help?

[madfloridian]

7. Other cities here have done the same.

Orlando did the same in downtown, but don't know if ban is still on.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/AR2006072500835.html

I think I saw a donations page at Twitter. Will let you know if I see it again.

[sabrina 1]

15. Thank you, I will look also. What a disgrace this is.

[madfloridian]

22. Here is a website he set up for his wife's memory. He's had 3 trials already for his group.

It links to his book on Amazon, a book of poetry.

http://lovethyneighbor.org/

http://lovethyneighbor.org/about-us/history/

[madfloridian]

6. And from The Independent UK.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ninetyyearold-man-faces-jail-for-giving-food-to-homeless-people-9838728.html

A 90-year-old man is facing up to 60 days in jail for feeding the needy due to a new law that bans people in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from meal-sharing with the public.

Arnold Abbott risks being fined $500 and spending time in prison after police officers apprehended him while he was handing out meals to homeless people in a park on Sunday.

He was arrested and charged along with two ministers from the Sanctuary Church, which prepares hundreds of meals to dish out every week in their kitchen, while shocked onlookers shouted to officers "shame on you!" in a video published by NY Daily News.

Mr Abbott said: "One of police officers came over and said ‘Drop that plate right now,’ as if I was carrying a weapon."
Updated: Abbott vows to keep feeding the homeless

He added: "These are the poorest of the poor, they have nothing, they don't have a roof over their heads. How do you turn them away?"

[madfloridian]

8. This is I think his website in memory of his wife, and a link to a book he wrote.

The book is called On A Poetic Life.

A place to donate also.

http://lovethyneighbor.org/

[ZombieHorde]

9. Shit like this is one reason I hate the illusion of rule of law.

There is no rule of law, there is only hurting people in the name of rule of law. We see this over and over again. I think we need a new paradigm.

[KingCharlemagne]

19. As Anatole France once famously said:

"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." (1894, translated from the original French)

[ZombieHorde]

20. Thanks for that fantastic quote. nt

[DeSwiss]

10. Hmmmm......

...well this will probably hurt their tourist destination reputation, wouldn't you think? I mean who'd want to go visit a place that treats the worst-off in society in this manner? Why would people want to visit such people as these?

- International attention, you say? Hmmmm......

K&R!

- And thank you kind sir, for your generosity and especially your patience in putting up with these ungrateful and severely emotionally-disabled politicians.

[malaise]

11. Go Arnold!!

You're a good man

[kelliekat44]

12. Does anyone here doubt that getting involved in state and LOCAL elections is important?

HELLOoooooo out there!!! This is where the Dems lose out. This man was arrested because of a city ordinance...the President or even the Congress has nothing to do with this. It is strictly a local issue...as was 3-strikes and may other fascist passed ordinances and laws. STATE AND LOCAL...state and local...until we get our movement centered at these levels, we will always be steamed rolled by national elections except for maybe the Presidency.

[sabrina 1]

16. No, I used to think National politics was most important, but not anymore. You are correct,

and I think people are devoting more and more of their energies now to their own local districts where they still have some say in how their lives are affected by politics. DC clearly lives inside their own small bubble and has no interest in people outside that bubble. Locally however, the people can still change things and at the same time, start building the party from the bottom up.

[kelliekat44]

13. When you elect politicians full of hate and bigotry you get laws just like them..full of hate. nt

[KingCharlemagne]

17. The Sun-Sentinel article to which you link is hiding behind a paywall. How's that

for irony?

[madfloridian]

21. I was able to access it last night. Now I can't.

Sometimes if you do a search on google for the article name or something similar, it will show up and you can access it.

I hate that.

[KingCharlemagne]

23. What an annoying little site they run. I think the Sun-Sentinel may be a Knight-Ridder

property, but damned if I can verify it from their website.

[Islandurp]

24. If your browser has some kind of incognito mode or private mode

You can use that to get past the paywalls

[lpbk2713]

18. His main opponent is probably the Chamber of Commerce.

CofC's (read local republican businessmen) in most cities don't want their streets blighted with homeless and panhandlers who for a cruel twist of fate may have been productive gainfully employed homeowners and taxpayers just a few months ago. The CofC's have local law enforcement working on their side and have the homeless people arrested or harrassed just to get them to move on to another town.