Aggressive begging being banned in Hilo

According to the October 7th issue of The Star-Bulletin, the Finance Committee of the Hawai`i County Council approved a bill to outlaw aggressive panhandling.

The proposed law would give police the power to keep merchants, residents, and visitors from being harassed by threatening requests for money.

Although the community looks forward to the protection, the American Civil Liberties Union called the bill "a mean-spirited attempt to stifle the First Amendment rights of the less fortunate."

Yet which right is greater? To harass or to be free from harassment?

The ACLU also claims that it would ban the Salvation Army from soliciting for charities.

This, again, is by no means reasonable. The presenter of the bill, Councilwoman Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd, said it is modeled on similar Mainland laws, and is designed only to prevent threatening solicitations.

In order to protect people from having their generosity taxed, this law should be passed quickly.