Written by: M
Russell Brand weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding the arrest of a 90-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Florida man whose only crime was violating a new city ordinance against feeding the homeless.
Russell Brand comes to the defense of the elderly altruist:
“He couldn’t look any more like an adorable old man, could he?” Brand began. “And yet he’s being ushered away by the police!”
“These values now aren’t the intentions that drive extreme activists, loonies in Anonymous masks tipping over police vans — they’re the values of elderly old war veteran men, because the values we’re talking about are just compassion and fairness to another human being.”
“There’s a prevailing idea,” he continued, “that there’s something ethically wrong with being poor, and that America’s run according to Christian values. But when people are practicing genuine Christian values, they themselves are directly prosecuted.”
“Clearly,” Brand said, “what Jesus was really into was having guns, and not having abortions, and not being gay. Those are his main priorities. But after he made sure that everyone had a gun, no one had an abortion, and nobody was gay, he had a little think about the poor people and whether they needed anything.”
Brand also brings to light the corruption of American business corporations by addressing their unethical use of leverage with “Christian values.”
“Sharing is one of the most important Christian values. Looking after each other is a Christian value.” But, he added, American businessmen use “Christianity and morality of all kind to protect their own corporate interests.”
“We’ve got to have a law,” he said in the voice of an American businessman, “preventing people from sharing food —especially from the hungry, let’s exclude them from the get-go.”
Even local business areas are not safe from Russell Brand’s empowering voice. He addresses his idea by antagonizing local business and shopping locations, and blaming them for the current state of the world.
In his own voice, Brand said, “this is a very popular current mentality, and presumably it comes from businesses and corporations in town centers saying, ‘I don’t like these homeless folk outside my store, it’s inconvenient and depressing. Don’t feel sympathy for the vulnerable people, think about local businesses and their needs not to have human litter cluttering up the walkways.’”
Further into his rantings, he then diverts attention down to the individual person. He idealizes how you, the average person, thinks upon looking at another unfortunate human being.
“At no point,” he continued, “do people think, ‘We can divert some of this wealth and affluence at the top of the pyramid towards vulnerable people.’”
“They never think, ‘That could be me.’ They just assume, ‘That person is naturally inferior.’”
Of course, a Russel Brand speech can not end without a suggestion to all peoples, on how they can better improve themselves.
“And of course,” Brand said, “we all know homelessness can’t be ended,” before pivoting, noting that “homelessness could be ended with the money Americans spend on Christmas decorations.”
“Let’s bear in mind,” he concluded, “that America just had midterm elections, and $4 billion was spent on campaigning — which is just telling you that something’s good. But feeding the homeless? That’s illegal.”
Feeding the homeless, illegal. Crime or compassion?
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Sources: (Kaufman, Scott. “Russell Brand: $4 Billion Spent on Elections, but Feeding the Homeless Is Illegal.” Raw Story. N.p., 7 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. <http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/11/russell-brand-4-billion-spent-on-elections-but-feeding-the-homeless-is-illegal/>.)
🙂
the cynic in me says the kind old man is lucky they didn’t shoot him 🙂
actually that was supposed to be a 🙁 because all this shit really depresses me and i want to do my part so Russell please reply to the PM that I sent you the other day
I’m glad we have a man such as Russell Brand on our side. He has always been a good man.
I’m glad we have a man such as Russell Brand on are side, he has always been a good man.
I agree with russell brand
The movement gets ever stronger!
Elements of the media are turning on Brand for speaking out. Having come to a point where material acquisition feels hollow, he’s trying to find fulfilment in helping others. This cannot be allowed in a consumer society and there will be aggressive mainstream AND non-direct attempts to stop him. Expect accusations from the public, mis-quotes, seemingly non-establishment high profile individuals’ criticism and all manner of other tactics to prevent him from achieving his goal.
We stand with you. Bill told us we have a choice of fear and love. We choose love.
rEVOLution is coming.
Email reply from the Mayor of Ft. Lauderdale:
David,
Thanks for your input and for caring about the homeless. We truly appreciate the concern and respectful approach, and we recognize that this is a very difficult and emotional issue.
The City Commission did not realize that requiring the homeless be fed in safe, secure, sanitary and healthy conditions would be distorted by the media as an attack on the homeless. The City Commission did not ban feeding the homeless in the City of Fort Lauderdale and did not make it illegal to feed the homeless; the City Commission only regulated the location of those feedings. In fact, there are numerous locations where homeless feedings may be legally held in the City, including our downtown. You can read the ordinance online at our website: FortLauderdale.gov.
Further, the cycle of homeless and homelessness on the streets of Fort Lauderdale is unacceptable, and this City Commission will do everything possible to get them off the streets and into the right programs, to the appropriate facilities, and to the proper resources necessary to turn their lives around.
This City Commission also does substantial charitable work for the homeless here in South Florida, volunteer at the local homeless assistance center, contribute financially to assist homeless programs and benefits, and work on several successful homeless veterans programs and projects. You can find many of those programs listed on our website at FortLauderdale.gov.
Your assistance is also appreciated, and we welcome volunteers, partners, charitable contributions, donations, and all levels of support.
Best wishes and Happy Thanksgiving.
John P. “Jack” Seiler
Mayor
City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
________________________________
From: David Benoit
Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2014 12:06 AM
To: Jack Seiler
Subject: feeding the homeless
Mayor Seiler,
Sir, In my humble opinion, it is about time that churches step up and take care of the disadvantaged in this country. After all we pay them to do so in the form of not taxing them on their income aka donations.
Why not work together with this man who is so generous a soul as to be dedicating his life to feeding the homeless, rather than wasting public funds on arresting, processing, incarcerating him and putting him through the court process? We need MORE PEOPLE to be like him, not less in these selfish times!
Please, as a non-religious person that hates like hell to see public money being wasted, especially when it is used to create both a negative light on our men in blue and government, I beg you to work together with this man rather than stopping his efforts.
I trust you will do what’s right, and what is moral. Sometimes laws, while written in an effort to address what SOME may see as a problem, becomes an over bearing fist in the face of what is right, and what is just for the public.
“Ethics, Planning, Patience and Persistence Pays”
David Benoit
he’s gonna get himself shot or have a mysterious car/airplane crash if he aint careful…..
he’s gonna get himself shot or involved in mysterious car/airplane crash at this rate…….
We can pay a ball player 397 million $ but people are homeless and children are hungry we need a revolution
I’ve been waiting for this man all my life…someone who has the guts to say it as it is.
Well done Russell Brand – I am behind you 100% 🙂
I agree with russel on alot of things. But the large coorparations and buisness men who claim to be christans arent and slain the christain name threw the mud money rules in this world and the devil rules it and he will not stop society is brainwashed my the pred pro quo way of life we can say were a christain nation but we really nit when we worship people such has a footbal team an any other sport for that matter more than god himself as gaining more of my faith and christainty i found myself wanting to learn the truth and i now look at the media movies tv shows and our very intertanment and i ponder to myself where is god and i find myself looking for him the wolf is covered in sheeps clothing and hes fooling you all really russel is just skimming the surface of the real issue
Our lives should be valued and well respected regardless who we are.if one is not a threat then let that person have their privacy and do not hesitate in acting in a friendly manner when approaching the harmless.
Our lives should be valued and well respected regardless who we are.if one is not a threat then let that person have their privacy and do not hesitate in acting in a friendly manner when approaching the harmless.
The plight of the homeless is so huge it is blinding allot of people. They don’t see what is happening. Talk to an elder who lived through the Great Depression they will tell you of the hobo knocking on doors to get a potato, as my 90 yr old mom tells it. If they go a potato they could add it to “the pot” and then the whole group could eat. It sounds like the hobo has Christian (Christ) principles. Then there was the rag picker, who gathered enough, if he was lucky, to use to keep warm. I guess the polar freeze is going to kill all of those homeless. I pray it is not the little children, who were so important to Jesus. I am thankful that I have a home, food, warmth and a mine to think, and a hand to help.
I thank the universe for people like Russell Brand! Bring on the Revolution!!!
I thank the universe for people like Russell Brand! Bring on The Revolution!!!
Thanks for your input and for caring about the homeless. We truly appreciate the concern and respectful approach, and we recognize that this is a very difficult and emotional issue.
The City Commission did not realize that requiring the homeless be fed in safe, secure, sanitary and healthy conditions would be distorted by the media as an attack on the homeless. The City Commission did not ban feeding the homeless in the City of Fort Lauderdale and did not make it illegal to feed the homeless; the City Commission only regulated the location of those feedings. In fact, there are numerous locations where homeless feedings may be legally held in the City, including our downtown. You can read the ordinance online at our website: FortLauderdale.gov.
Further, the cycle of homeless and homelessness on the streets of Fort Lauderdale is unacceptable, and this City Commission will do everything possible to get them off the streets and into the right programs, to the appropriate facilities, and to the proper resources necessary to turn their lives around.
This City Commission also does substantial charitable work for the homeless here in South Florida, volunteer at the local homeless assistance center, contribute financially to assist homeless programs and benefits, and work on several successful homeless veterans programs and projects. You can find many of those programs listed on our website at FortLauderdale.gov.
Your assistance is also appreciated, and we welcome volunteers, partners, charitable contributions, donations, and all levels of support.
Best wishes and Happy Thanksgiving.
John P. “Jack” Seiler
Mayor
City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
________________________________
From: Richard Jehn
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2014 3:00 PM
To: Jack Seiler
Subject: The Third Arrest of Arnold Abbott
Mayor Seiler:
How heartless and irrelevant does Fort Lauderdale intend to make itself? It is ludicrous that you continue to have Arnold Abbott arrested for feeding people who have no food and no homes. Your law is unjust, unchristian, and immoral. Scrap it before you truly become the laughingstock of the entire nation.
STOP ARRESTING ARNOLD ABBOTT!
Richard Jehn
Bellingham, WA
I would have thought that the introduction and enforcement of this policy would be contrary to American’s rights of association. Land of the free?
Russell Brand for President! !!!!
He’s British so don’t think it’s allowed under your constitution. I would say Brand for Prime Minister but the shower of cockwombles we have running the UK have made the UK a laughing stock with their snouts endlessly in corporation’s greed trough.
Change is coming Michael, if you really want to help out then vote Green at the next GE. The other four parties only have self interest at heart, check out the Green policies and become active. They’re not just for tree huggers anymore. 😉
Russell is great but we have to act ourselves not expect him to be some kind of saviour. If you can do something for your community whether its the homeless, the disadvantaged, those with a disability, do it. If you feel you have the answer to some problem, act on it. Anybody can do this. Think outside the mental limitations your society has trapped you into. Even just smiling at people and being kind to people is a start. But in your homes, in your work places and schools there is so much potential for changing the world around you. It starts with each one of you and working together creates a synergistic increase in our capacity to act. We can choose not to be weighed down by negativity. Choose positivity. I am excited by my work, both paid and unpaid, and my life because I choose to think this way and make these changes. Anybody can do it.
Russell Brand can’t legally be president… He’s English.. Not American.. And he can’t fake it like Obama did.. We all know Russell is English lol
true saying no one has ever become poor by giving ..its so disturbing that nato can spend all them $$$ and house police in England and wales but cant look afer the less needy I am sure them $$ could be spent on something more constructive than a load of hb nobs sat round a table on expenses champayne and caviar and barack visiting a load of stones in stonehenge
Im so going to go out and buying a box of cinnamon rolls and handing them out. I always liked to feed people rather then give them money that might get used for an addiction.
Why are we not suppose to help the homeless?
Because the haves are uncomfortable seeing have-nots. They want to “do everything possible to get them off the streets and into the right programs, to the appropriate facilities, and to the proper resources necessary to turn their lives around.”
How can they convince the masses we’re in a “recovery” if unemployed, hungry, homeless people are visible to the public?
Those who don’t have it quite that bad yet desperately want to convince themselves that this could never happen to them. They’re wrong. Most of the “middle class” is using debt to keep a roof over their heads. As the dollar buys less and less and they run out of available credit, authorities want to make sure they stay invisible.
Arnold Abbott is obviously a good man, and did not deserve to be arrested. The government has not just violated his rights, but the rights of the homeless too. If you take away their shelter, their food, and then make it illegal for them to live in certain places or sleep in certain places, that is like saying they don’t have the right to live. If this keeps up, eventually they will have nowhere to live. And then what? They don’t disappear into thin air. If we allow this to go on, we may end up with another holocaust. Before this gets out of hand, we need to be brave enough to come together for the good of all people.
A Bugs LIfe: Hopper: You let one ant stand up to us, then they all might stand up! Those puny little ants outnumber us a hundred to one and if they ever figure that out there goes our way of life! It’s not about food, it’s about keeping those ants in line.
“They never think, ‘That could be me.’ They just assume, ‘That person is naturally inferior.’”
Clearly, the ones doing the ‘looking down’ are the inferior ones as they are to ‘intellectually-challenged’ to see the bigger picture.
In fact, I would go much further and argue that their lack of compassion makes them no longer fully human, sub-human in fact……therefore forfeiting not just any claim to the ‘moral high ground’ but actually forfeiting their basic human rights…….
The Bible says that charging interest on loans is a sin (it’s worse than homosexuality or wearing mixed fabrics) and that everyone should write off their loans every seven years. Just mentioning.
COPS AND LAWYERS ARE FELONS, THEY RENTED SOFTWARE, NO GUN, NO OFFICE HELD
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tried to post,so insignificent am i.fuck it.god bless
russell brand is a great spokesman ,but why cant we leave all of this alone.be happy with yourself and all of this reflects above and beyond.god bless love in our lives.xxx
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