The Endangered Citizen

The 21st Century has not worked out the way we thought it would in grade school. We were supposed to be well on our way to flying cars, gleaming cities, and vacations in space by now. What do we have? A generation of zombies who are addicted to their devices and social media platforms. And this, in conjunction with an ever-expanding governmental presence, has not just atomized the concept of community, but also the individual.

Consider:

A 78-year-old grandmother in Arizona was arrested for feeding the homeless. Since 2018, Norma Thornton has been feeding the homeless people who gathered at Bullhead City Community Park. The Blaze reports that in March of this year, police arrived at the park where Thornton was finishing up distributing food. After a chat with the brass, the officers arrested Thornton for distributing food in a public place without a license. This is prohibited, since the activity is considered a nuisance that provides a space where illegal behavior occurs and garbage and human waste accumulate. After being fingerprinted and charged with a misdemeanor, Thornton was given an order to appear at a later date. She could face up to 120 days in jail, almost $1,500 in fines, and up to two years on probation. Which seems a little steep for a misdemeanor.

The Institute for Justice has taken up Thornton’s cause and is suing on her behalf. You can view her story below:

We’ve all seen how the issue of homelessness has affected places like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, and other cities across the U.S. And while one can make the case that Norton’s efforts are misguided and might exacerbate the problem, we can also see how well the municipalities have addressed the issue. Whatever flaws you can find, Norton is trying to live out the Great Commission by doing what she can in her corner of the world. But the municipality will have none of that. Heaven forfend that an individual or a group take matters into their own hands.

Related: Joe Biden, Dylan Mulvaney and the Collapse of the West

Elsewhere, New York City has torn down Pinky’s Space. It was a trendy outdoor “dining shed” in Manhattan. It was full of plants, art, and neon lights, and it even had a disco ball. A true hot spot, if you will. Earlier in October, the city inspected the shed and left. The owners were told to get rid of a non-food vending machine and move a trash can. Owner Mimi Blitz said she got rid of the machine and was working on the trash can issue. But Thursday, the Department of Transportation came in and essentially wiped out the venue. Blitz says she had no warning about the impending demolition. She tried to intervene and was threatened with arrest. The DOT claims that it had given Blitz and the other owners three warnings about noncompliance dating back to August. Pinky’s Space is one of several outdoor dining sheds that popped up around the Big Apple during the pandemic and have been razed. Some residents have complained that the businesses attract rats and garbage. This is odd when one considers that Fox News reports that, according to the people who run NYC, only 2% of Gotham has problems with dirty streets. Residents disagree, but who asked them, anyway?

But what of Pinky’s Space? After all, it was probably a gathering place for effete, elite left-wingers who laughed through their noses at the common folk while sipping the latest designer cocktails, or who lingered over the Sunday edition of The New York Times while quaffing mimosas. Screw ‘em, right? Well, no. Blitz, no matter her political leanings, sunk everything she had into her dining shed. In the process, her business and similar ones helped keep private enterprise afloat during the panic. And now it is gone. The city is crafting a “permanent program” regarding the issue. No details were available about the program but the city will continue to remove abandoned sheds and those with “egregious” histories of health violations. Neither of those was cited in the case of Pinky’s Space.

Back in Arizona, Norma Thornton has had to move her operation to an alley. Even the cop who took her into custody was embarrassed.

Notice that in each of these cases, the government involved did not offer to help or provide these people with options to ensure that their pursuits were as safe and effective as possible. The municipalities simply shut them down. Beyond the problems of a vending machine and a trash can, Pinky’s never got a list of violations and improvements. Thornton was arrested.

In the new America, if you are not wearing your drag outfit, and eventually even if you are, you will be expected to don your gray jumpsuit and schlep your way to your job. You will be told when it is time for your two minutes hate, before shuffling back to work. Business and entrepreneurship and even acts of human compassion will be solely within the purview of the state. And you will be convinced you never had it so good.