Cities around our nation have criminalized homelessness, but now, the homeless are fighting back.

According to a recent article over at The Think Progress Blog, four homeless men in Manteca, California have filed a suit against the city, saying that the anti-homeless ordinances violate their constitutional rights.

About a year ago, that city made it illegal for anyone to sleep or set up camp outside. Then, they passed an ordinance against using the bathroom outdoors at all.

When asked whether the new laws were intended to ban homeless people, the city's chief of police said that they were only to "correct the wrong," and "if the correction is [the homeless] leaving Manteca, then that's their choice."

However, rather than simply leaving, four of the homeless men impacted by the ordinances filed suit, saying the laws were passed with, "a discriminatory purpose of driving the homeless from the city." And, these brave men are not alone.

A lawsuit has also been filed on behalf of the homeless in St. Augustine, Florida, and the Justice Department has filed a memo against similar laws in Boise, Idaho.

The fact is, virtually no one is homeless by choice and it's wrong to prosecute someone simply for being stuck out on the street.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Thom Confronts Morano on Massive Climate Coverup (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

  

Thursday's Daily Stack 

Article: "Everything We Know About The Mass Shooting In San Bernardino" by Emily Atkin.

Article: "The Gun Industry Has Systematically Demolished Regulators And Avoided The Fate Of Cigarettes" by Josh Israel.

Article: "Guns killed more Americans in 12 years than AIDS, war, and illegal drug overdoses combined" by Zack Beauchamp.

Article: "Want To Know Why Politicians Only Offer 'Prayers' On Gun Violence? Follow The Money." by Kim Bellware.

Article: "Preemption Map" by Grassroots Change.

Article: "The other mass shooting that happened today in the United States" (Savannah, Ga) by Danielle Paquette.

Article: "The BBC's Distressingly Accurate Intro To The San Bernardino Shooting" by Zack Ford.

Article: "US Mass Shootings, 1982-2015: Data From Mother Jones' Investigation" by Mark Follman, Gavin Aronsen, Deanna Pan, and Maggie Caldwell.

Article: "Yes, Mass Shootings Are Occurring More Often" by Mark Follman.

Article: "Was San Bernardino Shooting a False Flag?" by Joe Biggs.

Article: "ATF gunwalking scandal" (Project Gunrunner, Operation Fast and Furious).

Book: "The Fourth Turning" by William Strauss, Neil Howe.

Book: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner.

Book: Compromised: Clinton, Bush and the CIA by Terry Reed.

Article: "POLICE: 12 pipe bombs found in home connected to mass shooting" by Jessica Denson.

Article: "California shooting: Shock for Redlands, a town of 'innocent people'" by Dave Lee.

Article: "Gun laws in California" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Federal Assault Weapons Ban" (1994 - 2004) by Wikipedia.

Article: "Gun laws in Hawaii" by Wikipedia.

Article: "New York is investigating Exxon Mobil for allegedly misleading the public about climate change" by Chris Mooney.

Law: "Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act", 1970 (RICO).

Law: "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act", 2005.

Article: "2nd Amendment". A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Quote: "I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations" "Speech at the Virginia Convention to ratify the Federal Constitution", June 6, 1788 by James Madison.

Article: "Constitution of the United States" Article 1, section 8: ...To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;...

Book: Don't Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives by George Lakoff.

Article: "Ted Cruz: 'We Are At A Time Of War' With Radical Islam" by Jordon Schachtel.

Book: "Conservatives Without Conscience" by John W. Dean.

Site: Free Speech TV

Article: "Man believed to have killed two others, then himself in Thanksgiving Day dispute" by John Tunison.

 

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Victoria Jones 

Article: "Obama on San Bernardino: 'We Don't Know Why They Did It'" by Marina Koren.

Article: "Officials: San Bernardino shooter apparently was in touch with terror subjects" by Greg Botelho.

Article: "Reid: NRA now the 'quasi-militant wing of the Republican Party'" by Jordain Carney.

Article: "San Bernardino Shooting: White House Analyzing Ways It Could Tighten Gun Laws" by Alexander Mallin.

Article: "Pentagon Opens All Military Service Positions to Women" by Loree Lewis.

Article: "Former Massey Energy C.E.O. Guilty in Deadly Coal Mine Blast" by Alan Blinder.

Article: "House approves five-year, $305B highway bill" by Keith Laing and Cristina Marcos.

Article: "Obamacare repeal may finally land on Obama's desk" by Burgess Everett and Jennifer Haberkorn.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 12/2" by Victoria Jones.

Hour Three: Ted Cruz's Master Plan
- Farron Cousins, Ring of Fire Radio  

Article: "Ted Cruz has always had a master plan. Now it could win him the White House" by Andrew Romano.

Article: "Ted Cruz: Crazy Like a Fox and Waiting to Inherit" by Richard Brodsky.

Article: "Ted Cruz's Father Suggested His Son Is 'Anointed' to Bring About 'End Time Transfer of Wealth'" by Bruce Wilson.

Article: "Book of Revelation" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Ted Cruz Describes Alleged Planned Parenthood Shooter As 'Transgendered Leftist Activist'" by Zack Ford.

 

Facebook: "Parents at Arapahoe high school" by .

Article: "Karl Pierson: Portrait of the Arapahoe High School shooting (+video)" by Brad Knickerbocker.

 

Why is the Pentagon Buying Lavish Compounds in Afghanistan?
- Sam Sacks, The District Sentinel  

Article: "State Spox Caught Criticizing Own Mubarak Line in Hot Mic" by Sam Knight, December 3, 2014.

Article: "Pentagon Spent $150 Million on Afghanistan "Villas," Security for Lavish Compounds" by Sam Knight.

Article: "President Obama Signs National Defense Authorization Act Solidifying Ban on Torture" by Corinne Duffy.

Article: "Wyden Promises Senate Fight Over Intel Policy Bill Rider" by Sam Sacks.

Article: "Interesting Tidbits from the House Intelligence Authorization" by emptywheel.

Article: "C.F.P.B. Hamstringing, Gas Tax Trickery Mar Congressional Transportation Deal" by Sam Knight.

Book: The New Democrats and the Return to Power by Al From.

Article: "'Cromnibus' Spending Bill Passes, Just Hours Before Deadline" by Bill Chappell, December 11, 2014.

Law: "Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act", 2010.

Article: "First Amendment to the United States Constitution".

    

Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

 

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