Religious Freedom in Texas

[desrt]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/04/15/1377891/-Texas-chef-facing-2-000-fine-for-feeding-the-homeless


Texas chef facing $2,000 fine for feeding the homeless

"Joan Cheever is a chef. She is the founder of a nonprofit food truck—Chow Train. For the past 10 years, Chef Cheever has served high-quality dishes to San Antonio's homeless. Some say Joan Cheever has a big heart.
Over the years, police officers have passed by and waved as she fed homeless people, but last Tuesday night four bike-patrol officers stopped in the park and gave Cheever a ticket that carries a potential fine of $2,000. Cheever has a food permit for her mobile truck, but she was cited for transporting and serving the food from a vehicle other than that truck.
The citation was given because Cheever brought the hot food from her own car and not a mobile food truck—and while there are good reasons for having food permit laws for mobile vehicles (sanitary considerations and public health), those laws are usually reserved for people trying to sell food. Not provide alms to the poor.......
Cheever is scheduled to go before Municipal Court on June 23, but she remained defiant after receiving the citation, arguing that under the 1999 Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, she has a right to serve food to the homeless because she considers it a free exercise of her religion."

[Barb135]

We run into the same thing here - we can't give the fruit from our orange and grapefruit trees to food banks because they haven't been inspected... instead we have to take them to the dump and toss them, though when I worked, I could take the excess fruit to work and give it away...  How much sense does that make...

It's totally insane that anyone trying to help feed the homeless/hungry should be persecuted in any way.  If I lived next door to any one of you and knew you didn't  have food, I could bring a meal - would you call the health department?  

Next thing we know, we won't be able to help neighbors in need when they or a family member are sick... it's all getting a little ridiculous, isn't it?  

[orphanedhawk]

How sad. What does it say about our society when we penalize people for giving food to the poor and hungry ? I'd say we can no longer claim that this is the greatest country in the world, not by a long shot.