To the Point
Is It a Crime to Be Poor and Homeless in America?
At the same time homelessness is on the increase, some cities are passing laws that make it harder to survive on the streets. Is poverty being criminalized in the midst of a recession? Also, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak comes to Washington, and public protest and the right to bear arms.
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenAt the same time homelessness is on the increase, some cities are passing laws that make it harder to survive on the streets. Is poverty being criminalized in the midst of a recession? Also Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak comes to Washington, and men with handguns and AR-15's outside President Obama's healthcare rallies raise questions about the right to bear arms.
Banner image: A woman shows a sign saying 'Please Help, Pregnant, Hungry and Homeless' as she begs for money near Beverly Hills in Los Angeles. Photo: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesMubarak Makes a Trip to the White House
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is in Washington for meetings with President Obama and other US officials. Peter Grier is Washington Editor for the Christian Science Monitor .
Read the story8 minIs It a Crime to Be Poor and Homeless in America?
The recession is driving Americans out of their homes and into poverty, increasing the need for shelters and free food. But many cities are passing ordinances to punish what more and more people do to survive: sleeping, eating, sitting or begging in public.
Read the story35 minGun Freedom and Bearing Weapons Outside Obama Protests
At President Obama's town hall in New Hampshire last week, a man was arrested for carrying an unlicensed, loaded gun, while another man with a handgun strapped to his leg was within the law, as was a man who carried a semi-automatic assault rifle outside the President's rally yesterday in Phoenix.
Read the story8 min
