The recent Supreme Court decision permitting the punishment of unhoused individuals is a moral failing. It's a shanda, a disgrace to our nation, and a chillul Hashem, a desecration of God's name. This ruling allows for the degradation of those created
Considering the 6 members of the Inquisition who run the court and make these decisions the result in the homelessness case is not surprising. Providing lawyers for poor people facing evictions is at least a temporary solution. It is sometimes surprising what lawyers can do in court to stay an eviction. As far as the fines are concerned, it is all fantasy money anyway. We are talking about people with no resources so forcing them to pay what they clearly cannot generally results in the fines and fees being cancelled by the appropriate court. But again, having a lawyer representing the homeless individuals is crucial. Building affordable homes is definitely necessary and long term as it is frequently expensive. But raising more money to hire more lawyers to represent poor people in evictions and homeless people with fees and fines is clearly a good short term solution. Affording a place to live is a separate issue that we as a society must address sooner rather than later.
Thank you
Dear Rabbi,
Considering the 6 members of the Inquisition who run the court and make these decisions the result in the homelessness case is not surprising. Providing lawyers for poor people facing evictions is at least a temporary solution. It is sometimes surprising what lawyers can do in court to stay an eviction. As far as the fines are concerned, it is all fantasy money anyway. We are talking about people with no resources so forcing them to pay what they clearly cannot generally results in the fines and fees being cancelled by the appropriate court. But again, having a lawyer representing the homeless individuals is crucial. Building affordable homes is definitely necessary and long term as it is frequently expensive. But raising more money to hire more lawyers to represent poor people in evictions and homeless people with fees and fines is clearly a good short term solution. Affording a place to live is a separate issue that we as a society must address sooner rather than later.
Sam