Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Homelessness In The News

In Ohio, a man was ordered by a judge to spend three days in jail and one night homeless after being convicted of stealing a Salvation Army Kettle with $250.00 in it. The man does not think the sentence was too harsh. Harsh? One day as a homeless person is hardly harsh.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22840216/

In Austria, a shelter where Matthew Hiasl Pan has lived for 25 years is going bankrupt, threatening to leave him homeless. Donors have offered to help support him, but in Austria the law says that only people can receive personal gifts. Matthew is a chimp. Animal rights activists have tried to have him declared a person, thankfully common sense has prevaled and the Supreme Court has declared that legally a chimp is not a person. The rights group plans to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. Don't they understand what "human rights" mean?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22670956/

In Winnipeg, 12 year old Hannah Taylor founded the Ladybug Foundation five years ago. The foundation has since raised over $1 million dollars to assist homeless people. She is trying to have January 31 named National Red Scarf Day to raise awareness of the nation's homeless population.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2008/01/30/scarf-day.html