You know what would suck? Being a panhandler. You know what would really suck? Being a panhandler in Lawton!
Seriously, wouldn't that be an awful way to make a living? If panhandling the streets of Lawton doesn't motivate you to get a real job, I'm not sure what will.
Anyway, I bring this up because the Lawton City Council has followed Oklahoma City's archaic lead and recently enacted their own ban and restrictions on panhandling. At least that's what I've gathered from this Kim McConnell report in The Lawton Constitution:
Specific forms of aggressive panhandling will be banned in Lawton, beginning today, under an amended ordinance that the City Council put into effect Tuesday.
While the decision to amend existing code was unanimous, the final decision didn't come until after Ward 5 Councilman Dwight Tanner noted that provisions already in city code made panhandling illegal and that council action at Tuesday's meeting also deleted provisions that exert some control over panhandling.
Ward 4 Councilman Jay Burk, who initiated the item, called Tuesday's action the "second part of more to come." He referred to council action in early February, also enacted with an emergency provision, that placed bans into effect for anyone who stands, sits or stays in roads and highways within the city and in medians, although some exceptions were included. City attorneys said then that the council could not ban panhandling in city streets, while allowing other groups (such as charitable organizations) to solicit funds that way.
Tuesday's decision was specifically aimed at panhandling, banning actions that block sidewalks, doorways, entryways or passage ways in public places; that require the person being solicited to take evasive action to avoid physical contact with the panhandler or any other person; or that mean engaging in conduct that is intimidating, threatening, coercive or obscene, and cause the person being solicited to reasonably fear for his or her safety. Panhandling has been defined to mean knowingly approaching, accosting or stopping another person for the purpose of requesting immediate donation of money or other gratuity.
Well, it's official. I finally found an excuse to send Louis Fowler down to Lawton. We can also have him panhandle for a few hours and review the El Chico where Jesus Christ had dinner. That would be a nice write-up.