Norma Thornton, a retired former restaurant owner and grandmother started regularly sharing her home-cooked food with the needy in 2018. Several days a week, Norma would share her home cooked meals in the public park with anyone who asked, including the homeless and anyone else who needed a hot meal. Norma would provide plates and utensils, and she would always ensure that she left the area clean. Norma hoped that her efforts would not only keep people alive but also help them turn things around. Moreover, Norma hoped her example could inspire her community to do more to help those in need.
But such acts of generosity do not fulfill the Capitalist need for profit above all. So what happened to Norma?
On March 8, 2022, Norma was sharing her food in a local public park when an officer of the Bullhead City Police Department approached her. The officer arrested Norma, and the City prosecuted her. After Norma rejected a plea deal, the City dropped its charge — though the City clarified that it would prosecute Norma should she violate the ordinance again.
This allegation is straight from the Institute for Justice, who is fighting for Norma’s right to lend a helping hand to those stricken by Capitalism’s greatest costs, so that people who are unable to earn a living, something a good, caring society would not force people to do, are at least able to have one less skipped meal.