Editorial: New panhandling law isn’t necessary

Monday, November 17, 2008

The Lawrence City Commission is considering the creation of tougher panhandling laws. The argument is that there has been a substantial amount of complaints against panhandlers, specifically downtown.

But Lawrence doesn’t need any tougher laws because it already has an ordinance that sufficiently controls panhandling. Ordinance 7891, passed in 2005, prohibits any form of aggressive panhandling. This means that those who panhandle are not allowed to touch the solicited person, block the path, continue soliciting after being denied, follow people around or solicit close to ATMs.

Panhandlers in Lawrence are limited to passive soliciting, such as holding up signs or just asking once — nothing that should be considered very controversial.

The problem is that a new ordinance like this would be a considerable encroachment of First Amendment rights. Freedom of expression includes tolerating being asked to contribute to something. It happens all the time; organizations are allowed to approach people to ask for donations or signatures. And it shouldn’t be different with panhandlers.

Street musicians, a considerable part of the charm of downtown, are probably not the targets of the ban, but they might be affected by it. Most likely the city wants to get rid of those who panhandle to buy alcohol. But if those people are the real target, a better idea would be to invest in programs that would help reincorporate them into society.

Being asked for money might be something some people find uncomfortable, but it’s something we have to deal with. Panhandlers are part of our society. There is no reason to further ostracize panhandlers just because downtown businesses think the image they wish to portray is being hurt. This ban tries to hide the problem under the carpet so that we don’t have to confront it.

As long as the person panhandling is not being intimidating, nothing wrong is being done, and Lawrence already has an ordinance in place to deal with aggressive panhandlers.

A tougher law against panhandlers is unnecessary. Lawrence just needs to enforce the ordinance already in place.

— — Patrick de Oliveira for the editorial board

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Editorial: New panhandling law isn’t necessary

can you spare some change?

Lawrence turns into the night of the living homeless in the summer.

Editorial: New panhandling law isn’t necessary

Punish the poor! Defenestrate the defenseless! Impale the impoverished! Destroy the destitute!

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