-Caveat Lector- Published 14 March, 2001 by InvestigativeJournal.com Prosecutor says 'stop feeding homeless Pastor calls it Christian persecution <http://www.investigativejournal.com/stories/homeless.htm> By David M. Bresnahan A homeless grandmother is about to go to jail, and her pastor says it is because city officials want to force the homeless to go elsewhere. "They want to move the homeless out rather than help them," Pastor Wiley Drake ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) told InvestigativeJournal.com. He said the local police are targeting the homeless (and those who help them) for persecution and harassment. Dianne Grue, a 67-year-old grandmother, lives in a pay-by-the-week motel for most of each month. Her small Social Security check is not enough to cover her expenses, so for a few days a month she stays at Drake's church until she gets her next check. Police have a virtual stake out at the First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif. Drake claims members of his congregation and homeless people who come to his church for help are routinely persecuted, harassed, and intimidated by local police. "The ironic part is that many of the police bring people who need help to us, while others give the homeless a hard time with citations for camping and stolen property (shopping carts). Many are stopped while on their way to work, held and then released, after they are late for work," explained Drake. The constant harassment by police has caused the homeless to avoid the church, which Drake says is exactly what police are trying to do - get the homeless to go somewhere else rather than help them. "Even regular Church members say that the area around our Church is a speed, seat belt, and signal trap, and they are afraid to come to church," complained Drake. He said the action is blatant persecution of Christians. Grue was one of the homeless who stopped coming to the church for shelter because she was in fear of the police. Instead she stayed out in the open and police cited her for "camping." The infractions landed her in court with a public defender on Monday. Drake attended and tried to convince Judge Richard E. Behn (fax 1-714-773-4639) to go easy on Grue. Instead Behn said he would put Grue in jail for 15 days. Drake convinced her to plead innocent to enable her to get a trial, and he helped her to get an attorney at no charge. Her pre-trial hearing is scheduled for March 26. "I couldn't let a judge send a homeless grandmother to jail," said Drake. He was quick to point out that Disneyland is only five miles away from his church, and the entire area is regarded as a special "entertainment zone" that police try to "keep clean." City prosecutor Greg Palmer (E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]) compared homeless people to stray cats in court on Monday. He said that if Drake and his church stopped feeding them they would go away. Despite the challenges he receives from some, Drake pointed out that some local police officers bring homeless people to him, and the federal government provides food for Drake to distribute. Drake has not been a stranger to controversy. He organized the national boycott of Disney by the Southern Baptist Convention, tried to have former President Bill Clinton excommunicated, and was arrested and convicted for housing homeless people in his church without the proper use permit. The same judge who threatened Grue with jail sentenced Drake to three years of probation and community service, which he recently completed. He has since obtained the necessary permit. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
