That's the difference between the churches and the politicians.
So which one should we attend, readers?
"Chapel faces opposition in Brookline; Building’s design too large, critics say" by Brock Parker, Globe Correspondent | April 11, 2010
Several state legislators and dozens of Town Meeting members have signed a letter petitioning Brookline officials to reject the design of a proposed Mormon chapel on Route 9....
I guess we won't be going there.
Bet there wouldn't be a stink if it were a synagogue.
"2 Molotov cocktails fail at Ipswich church; No injuries or damage reported" by Martin Finucane, Globe Staff | April 7, 2010
Two Molotov cocktails were tossed at an Ipswich church early yesterday, but they did not explode and caused no damage, authorities said. State Fire Marshal Steve Coan called the incident at the First Church in Ipswich an act of malicious vandalism. He said investigators did not think it was a hate crime....
How can it not be?
Every crime is a hate crime; does anyone damage your property or take your life out of love?
Okay, let's go one inside:
"Health laws halt hot meal program; Church asked to stop after nine men fall ill" by Peter Schworm, Globe Staff | March 8, 2010
For eight years parishioners at the United Church of Christ in Medfield cooked up hearty batches of chili and chicken soup and brought them to the streets of Boston, handing out bowls of sustenance to the city’s homeless.
But the Saturday evening Soup To Go ministry, however welcomed by the men and women who took comfort in the hot, home-cooked meals, was running afoul of public health laws. Not only was some of the food prepared in volunteers’ homes, rather than a licensed kitchen, it was handed out without a permit.
Health officials cracked down last month after nine homeless men who ate a church meal complained of gastrointestinal illness. Officials were enforcing a state law requiring that all charitable food programs be inspected and licensed by local health boards. For now, the church group cannot distribute hot food, although it will continue to hand out sandwiches and packaged food.
Thomas Goodfellow, assistant commissioner of health at Boston’s Inspectional Services Department, said restrictions are necessary to ensure that food provided to the homeless is safe.
As for the schools, well...
“The public has a right to know where the food is coming from,’’ he said. “If you want to protect the public health, everyone has to follow the same rules. Donated food must come from a licensed kitchen.’’
Advocates for the homeless and public health officials say the long standing rules are sensible protection against food-borne illnesses in a vulnerable population.
But some parishioners are concerned that the government regulations, however well-meaning, block their efforts to feed the hungry, particularly at a time of growing need.
Even when they try to help, they hurt.
The church’s food program came to light last month, when nine men at the New England Center for Homeless Veterans complained of illness after eating chili distributed by the church group.
But plenty of money for banks, wars, corporations, etc, etc, etc.
And WTF?
Homeless VETERANS?
Is that how we take care of them?
State and local health officials were notified, and city inspectors determined the food had been served illegally. The shelter also passed a health inspection....
Some did not: Brown-Bagging It in Boston
I would advise it, kids.
Outside the veterans shelter yesterday, people said they missed the hot meals and said it was a shame officials interfered with a good thing.
“When it’s cold, it’s good to get a hot meal in your stomach,’’ said Russell Ricks, a 58-year-old Army veteran who works part time as a dishwasher. “Chili, chicken soup - people looked forward to it. They are nice people. They bring clothes, toothpaste, even gifts at Christmas time.’’
Yeah, ignore the pain.
Then again, maybe nothing was wrong. It was chili.
Ricks said the illnesses were not serious and that he doubted the church’s food was to blame. A tall man with a gray beard and bad cough, Ricks said people appreciated the meals and were touched by parishioners’ kindness.
Yeah, that always gets me -- especially when you compare it to any interaction with the state.
People staying at the shelter, he said, are typically getting enough to eat and aren’t desperate for the hot meals. But for those who live outside and come to the shelter for the Saturday meals, the food is pivotal.
Other shelter residents said there is some risk in eating any perishable food, whether served at a restaurant or in one’s home.
“There’s no guarantee,’’ said one middle-aged man, who asked to remain anonymous. “If you go to a cookout, or get invited to someone’s house, it’s the same thing. Nothing’s completely safe.’’
But William Todd, a 60-year-old Air Force veteran who has stayed at the shelter for about a year, said he worries about donated food and likes to know where his meals came from.
“I wouldn’t trust that myself,’’ he said of the church meals, saying he had never eaten one.
In recent years, a number of US cities have passed ordinances restricting groups from sharing food with the homeless, advocates say.
While the elite are gorging themselves.
While some of these measures seek to deter the homeless from congregating, many are good-faith attempts to protect their health, they say....
Does the state ever do anything FOR YOU, citizens?
I'm sure the political pukes were saying we are just looking out for the homeless health. Let's not address the reason for homelessness or the wasting of tax resources on other things.
In Virginia a few years ago, plans to prohibit shelters from accepting home-cooked food were quickly overturned after sparking widespread resentment.
I believe they call it Southern hospitality.
The northern kind is what you are reading about.
But
Of course.
health officials and advocates for the homeless said that such laws are common, although they are rarely enforced.
Neil Donovan, who directs the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington D.C. [and] used to work at Boston’s Pine Street Inn, said food programs can help break the ice with homeless people, making them more open to assistance. But they can also backfire.
“Some people believe handing out food is a very effective engagement tool for people who are shelter-resistant,’’ he said.
“But others say if you meet everyone’s needs on the street, it’s much harder to get them indoors.’’That is what libraries are for.
And WTF does that mean?
Starve 'em so they come in?
--more--"
What do you mean no hot meal tonight?
There is a cold rain outside.
