Raleigh - a city without commons-ense.

In a public forum, one by one, city officials went up to the stand and spoke about the crackdown on groups of good Samaritans feeding the hungry in downtown Moore Square. They said that it was all a big huge misunderstanding over recent events, that high level members were unaware of the crackdown, and officers who were supposed to merely be providing education, may have been a little overzealous or may not have excelled in their role as community education specialists, and also that no Samaritans had been threatened with arrest.

First, according to a freedom of information request from the News and Observer, it turns out that high level members were indeed aware and were involved as early as February.

http://www.midtownraleighnews.com/2013/09/13/3191678/emails-legal-advice-sought-to.html


Second, I was personally threatened with arrest. The police are not 'community education specialists', they are enforcement specialists.

Third, I dispute the ordinances themselves. 9-2022 reads:

Distribution of food prohibited.
No individuals or group shall serve or distribute meals or food of any kind in or on any City park or greenway unless such distribution is pursuant to a permit issued by the Parks, Recreation and Greenway Director

Now this is an interesting ordinance. According to it, I should have been arrested every time I've had a birthday party or cookout. Is there anyone in Raleigh who hasn't broken this ordinance? Will the City begin to enforce this ordinance against ALL Raleigh residents equally or will they use profiling?

I also disagree that this is a 'private' use of the sidewalk. Anyone can come. No one will be discriminated against. No one has to pay. This is a public a use of sidewalks.

There is a meeting Monday at 7:00 PM and according to officials the SOLE purpose of the meeting is find alternatives to Moore Square and ANY OTHER public city park for the distribution of food. Here's a trivia question for you: Where did the Salvation Army begin? Not in a Raleigh park, but in a park nonetheless. Another homeless shelter in Raleigh started in a revival tent. One could say there is a rich tradition where many well known national charitable organizations began in the commons, but that would not do it justice.

Almost every single organization had its roots planted in the grass of the commons.

Make no mistake, the City of Raleigh seeks to privatize those commons. They mention 'alternate' sites.

I have only one question:

Are these 'public' sites?

Or are those formerly public sites, sites that have been used as the commons since this city was founded, now become only available to those who can afford them?

I have a dream

This afternoon, at the Law and Public Safety Community meeting, the City of Raleigh was very well prepared and showed slides of trash on the ground, closed Salvation Army shelter, and with a comparison of crime rates between Moore Square and Nash Square. There was also much discussion about liability, long lines, orderliness, sanitation, and a desire for the homeless to eat indoors and out of sight. It was also emphasized that no one had been arrested or threatened with arrest regarding ordinance 9-2022 and the distribution of food in parks.

While they have temporarily lifted the ban on feeding the hungry, I’d like to address some of these issues:

Trash on the ground: If you look at the City’s slides, you notice the trash cans are filled to the brim. Please bring the trash cans back to Moore Square. One could almost believe there is some sort of conspiracy going on here in regards to creating a trash problem.

Liability issues: The City has built 10 foot high structures for kids to climb at Pullen Park. Are those kids signing a waver? Are they being issued goggles to prevent sand from falling in their eyes? People have been feeding the hungry in Raleigh for over 20 years; has the City of Raleigh ever been sued as a result of these activities? What would be the predicted cost of fighting a lawsuit over the constitutionality of ordinance 9-2022 vs some random act that hasn’t happened in over 20 years of citizen compassion?

Long lines: I went to the Food Truck Rodeo and had a great time. I was in line for nearly 40 minutes to get some food. What is the difference between a food truck line and a line of people located in Moore Square? Why is only one of these activities an eyesore?

Sanitation: There are numerous events where people eat outdoors in Raleigh. Is there any especially unsanitary activity that occurs by people eating outdoors? To my knowledge, the only time there’s ever been a problem has been at the State Fair and no one is canceling the State Fair. What is there that is special about Moore Square that makes it unsanitary for people to eat there?

Indoor and Orderly: It was mentioned that soup kitchens are supposed to be indoors – as some kind of given. However, all around Raleigh there is patio seating and outdoor events too numerous to mention. Why is the City of Raleigh so focused on forcing some people indoors behind closed doors, but perfectly okay for others to eat and cook food outside?

Arrest: I was personally threatened with arrest for violation of ordinance 9-2022 on Sunday August 11. At the time we had men, women, and children lined up to eat and a lot of food ready to be eaten. I asked the officer, “How much is the fine for the citation?” I was told I would be arrested if I attempted to serve food. Here’s a question. If I go out to my N. Raleigh park, and share hotdogs with my guests, am I in violation of 9-2022? No? Then please tell me what is so special about the people located at Moore Square that causes the act of sharing food with them to become an illegal act worthy of arrest?

It was fifty years ago that Dr. King made his speech, so I feel it’s appropriate to borrow a phrase: I have a dream. I have a dream where the City of Raleigh does not use excuses of liability to shirk its moral obligations, where parks in the black part of town are just as nice as the parks in the white part of town. I dream of a day when city leaders see hungry people, they go home and make a pot of chili and say, “You are not only a human being, but you are my neighbor, and together we can make this city into a beautiful city of oaks and brotherhood.”

That is my dream.