Clinton-Gore cut off food to homeless shelter

[Dennis Olson]

Every time you think the SOB's have sunk as low as they can go, they STILL manage to get worse. Time for them to leave. Now.

http://newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2000/9/8/110418

The Clinton-Gore administration has ended a federally subsidized food program for one of the largest homeless shelters in Vice President Al Gore's home state because visitors are required to attend a religious service.

"The USDA has stopped supplying the Memphis (Tennessee) Union Mission with 12 tons of subsidized food because the Christian organization requires that needy people attend a prayer service before being fed," reported this week's Memphis Flyer, a local city newspaper.

Reverend Mark Calhoun told the Flyer that the food cutoff will hurt the Mission's effort to feed the city's homeless population.

"They were mainly meats, and the people we feed need protein," he said. "It's a hard time with the holidays coming up."

The Clinton-Gore administration has told the mission that the food program can continue only if Calhoun agrees to make the prayer service optional. But, says the reverend, "That's not a choice for us. Prayer has been in our charter since 1945. It's the reason we exist."

...more...

 

[paratrooper]

As a long haul driver I have hired my share of skid row guys to unload my trailer . The biggest complaint they had was that they had to sit through a sermon before they were fed . Any quasi , semi , wannabee , almost or was a Reverend with a few bucks to kick in could be the Guest Preacher . If you think about it just who would sit through a sermon unless it was part of the deal ? Probably nobody .
These guys were a piece of work though . You hire three to unload your trailer . Two start right away but you gotta give the third one enough to go get a bottle as a kind of "eye opener ." You listen to these guys they used to be Bill Gates but through some bad luck ( not their fault , mind you ) came upon hard times . Their stories were endless if you were buying . I bet there would be more guys at the services if there was a little jug being passed around . But usually it's Bible now , beans later .

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TOM
SASS AMERICAN LEGION NRA GOA

 

[Shotgun]

So much for the Democrat party line about them being more "compasionate and caring for the poor". Starvation is to be prefered over prayer.

 

[Dangus]

Personally I think it's a lousy idea to sell prayer to people. People want food, so they become Christians, that's a crappy reason to find God. I don't disagree with cutting of public funds.

That said, Clinton/Gore probably didn't give them as much of a chance to rethink that policy as they might pretend.

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The Alcove

I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me

 

[Satanta]

Well...I was homeless. I was a 'rent-A-Drunk' for three years. I lived in a homeless shelter-run by a church. Rules were: No drugs, No alcohol, [this included cough medicine and mouthwash which some guys would drink instead...minty fresh breath and all] and you went to their church anytime it as open. I had my own chuch that I was a member of but I visited theirs often...but I saw the guys who went thru all the services, accepted Christ and as soon as they got out on their own they hit the skids again...didn't change them a bit.

Seen plenty of jailhouse Christians too.

Until they are out on their own.

Life's a b*tch sometimes...[imaking[/i] someone into a Christian just don't work...However, taking food from those that need it sucks. FTG.

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Satanta, the Whitebear
Sat's Realm: http://SatantasRealm.tripod.com/Entrypage/entrypage.html

My Disability petition: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/DisbHelp/petition.html

 

[Westtexas]

I don't think the issue is "making" anyone accept Christ. I think the issue is being thankful (through prayer) for Christ providing the food for the homeless through the Church. No one is required to convert to eat. The fact that the government would rather have people go hungry than hear the gospel to receive government rations is a notion I find far more unpalatable than a prayer before a meal.

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NRA Life Member
GOA
GSSF

 

[sumabich]

Carrot and stick. Do what we want or you don't get the bucks. Get's old! While some say the church shouldn't preach, at least they're trying to feed those less fortunate. I don't see anyone else stepping up to the plate! I would hope that once the locals hear of their plight they will help. What a world, it's ok to spend millions to study the gas emissions of cattle but if someone preaches to a bunch of homeless you cut off the food! I'll bet they'll all vote for Al too!

 

[ellsworthtoohey]

I bet there are an abundance of employers in Memphis begging for employees. If these loosers need protein, maybe they should try something revolutionary, like get a job.

Don't complain when tax revenues DON'T get spent.

 

[Satanta]

ellsworthtoohey...not to be mean-have you ever BTDT? Ever work in a shelter?

Certainly not each and every person who comes for helps truly deserves/needs it-i've seen people driving some pretty damn nice cars getting foodstamps. Seen some real obese people using foods stamps to buy ice cream and candy and crap. But. having lived at a shelter, I've also seen the guys who were dying[/i with no place to go being fed and ministered to.

so....if you aint been there either needing the help or volunteering your 'valuable' time...Don't just sing it-bring it.

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Satanta, the Whitebear
Sat's Realm: http://SatantasRealm.tripod.com/Entrypage/entrypage.html

My Disability petition: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/DisbHelp/petition.html

 

[ellsworthtoohey]

Its wonderful if someone wants to volunteer in such a place. Its even groovy if somebody wants to live there. Just don't take my money at gunpoint to finance the place. If you think ist a worthy cause, please feel free to give all the time and money, YOUR time and money, that you wish. I certainly won't oppose you.

Just don't stick me up to finance all of these wonderful programs. Robbery is morally wrong, no matter how noble some believe the cause to be.

 

[RickD]

In Phx we have the Pappa School. A school for homeless kids. They seem to do better when they don't have to mixed with other kids.

Anyway, the feds give this school some fraction of its operating budget, about $50,000. But since the school "segregates" not only is the fed threatening to withold funds from the school but from all of Arizona's homeless programs until the school integrates.

Brilliant.

Rick

 

[mzanghetti]

IMHO, the big point being lost is that it is another attack by the Klinton administration on the values this country holds important! I do not know that requiring someone to hear a sermon is such a bad thing that the Government should SUDDENLY begin withholding what ever support had been provided for in the past. On first immpression this seems another to be another atttack by this %^#$%#^ administration on the values that show what a slimeball our current "Liar in Chief" is! This is another example of PC Garbage being thrown at this country! This administration has done more to tryand remove any moral values or standards from the public arena than I ever thought imaginable.
God help this nation and save it from this man!

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A Life Well Lived Is The Best Revenge!

 

[4V50 Gary]

The Constitution forbids the government from establishing a religion. Hence the Clinton-Gore grinch approach.

Now, while on the surface it appears that denying food to the homeless because of a required sermon may seem to Constitutionally correct, the Supreme Court has held that non-secular aid to privately funded religious schools are not violative of the Constitution. Thus, it is OK for the government to distribute non-secular books (math, science, language) to both public and private schools. Apparently a good argument can be made for the distribution of surplus meat as non-violative of the Constitution. Feed 'em for God's sake.

[This message has been edited by 4V50 Gary (edited September 18, 2000).]