[Frederick] Douglass did not begrudge the freedoms enjoyed by the beneficiaries of the divorce from the British Empire. As an escaped slave, he enjoyed many of those freedoms, if not all. Yet, in this nation, ostensibly conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal, “the mournful wail of millions” cried out against their bondage. A celebration of independence was meaningless to those who had little independence to celebrate.
Category: Civil Liberty
Myths about the U.S. Constitution and Individual Rights That Erode Civil Society
Myth #1: The U.S. Constitution is a contract between the People and the State.
Myth #2: The “common good” exists and it can be discerned.
Myth #3: The State must balance rights when individuals enter society.
Dayton food handout law dates to 2005 fights over Cooper Park meals for homeless
Members and supporters of nonprofit groups and political organizations including Nourish Our Neighbors, the Libertarian Party of Montgomery County and the Southwest Ohio Party for Socialism and Liberation say the city law criminalizes feeding and helping the poor.
The Difference Between Justice and the Rule of Law
As a libertarian, I would like to abolish a vast range of current laws for reasons unrelated to rule-of-law considerations. I think a high proportion of current laws are substantively unjust; if I didn’t think that, I would not be a libertarian in the first place.
https://reason.com/volokh/2024/04/30/the-difference-between-justice-and-the-rule-of-law/
Libertarian Party of Montgomery County condemns Dayton anti-homeless ordinance
The Libertarian Party of Montgomery County condemns Dayton Code of Ordinances Sec. 137.21, “Preparing and distributing food in a public place within central area of the city”, which has surfaced in the news following the arrest of a local man for violating its provisions.
Nearly a decade old, this ordinance is a blight on our community, restricting individual freedoms and hindering acts of charity. By mandating that individuals obtain a $50, one-use permit to prepare or distribute food, clothing, or toiletries in public spaces within the central area of the city, this ordinance imposes unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and financial burdens on those seeking to assist their fellow citizens in need.
While purportedly enforced under the guise of food safety, it is clear that the true intent of the law is to control and manage the visibility of poverty and homelessness in the downtown area. The recent arrest serves as a stark reminder of the detrimental impact of such heavy-handed regulations on our community.
Josh Umbaugh, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Montgomery County, Ohio, remarked on the situation, stating: “City ordinance 137.2 is incredibly disrespectful to the freedoms of Dayton citizens. It shouldn’t be illegal for a neighbor to help a neighbor. How ridiculous is that?!”
The Libertarian Party of Montgomery County calls for the immediate repeal of this unjust law. This ordinance’s regulation of charitable activities in downtown Dayton is a form of political theater aimed at masking our city’s social and economic challenges, rather than addressing them directly.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Libertarian Party of Montgomery County
Our question is, how does requiring a permit help the unhoused community members in Dayton?
It doesn’t. It’s simply just a fee handed to the government in hopes that they grant you “permission” to help your community members.
‘It’s just food’: Activists want Dayton to repeal ordinance requiring permit to distribute food downtown
A week earlier, Dayton police arrested a 25-year-old man at Courthouse Square after city officials said he continued to hand out food after he and others were warned by officers to stop because it violated city code.
Officers said they responded after receiving an anonymous complaint about the food distribution activities, according to body camera footage obtained by this newspaper. An officer in the body camera video says, “It’s all about just getting a permit, man — that’s all it is.”
Dayton man arrested after giving food to homeless without a permit; Some say city law ‘criminalizes’ charity
It is against the law to prepare or distribute food, clothing or toiletries in a public place within the central area of the city without a city permit.
Journal of Free Speech Law: My “When Are Lies Constitutionally Protected?”
Government determination of which assertions are false and should therefore be punished is always perilous. When institutions—scholars, the government as speaker, the media, perhaps opposing election campaigns—are available to deal with such matters, there is a way to avoid the peril while still rebutting the lies. It’s imperfect, but it’s better than the alternative of government coercion; in such a situation, “the fitting remedy for” lies, as well as for “evil counsels,” is rebuttal.
Will the Supreme Court Let Sylvia Gonzalez Sue the Political Enemies Who Engineered Her Arrest?
“Gonzalez was so hurt by the experience and so embarrassed by the media coverage of her arrest,” the petition says, that “she gave up her council seat and swore off organizing petitions or criticizing her government.”