Church has to stop giving glasses to homeless

[Lamb]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/state-law-church-kentucky-glasses-homeless

"For 16 years, a Kentucky church member has been giving away prescription glasses to the poor. His program, Kendall Optometry Ministry, has become so successful, it has helped thousands of people across 79 countries.

But the state now says the program is illegal and it wants Holland Kendall, the president of Kendall Optometry Ministry, to meet optical standards or close.


But the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners and the Kentucky Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers claim the practice is illegal because the glasses "are not new, first quality and made to meet the individual's personal prescriptions.""


It's a shame that this church was trying to help people in need and now they can't do that because someone's hand isn't being greased with cash. That's what it all comes down to. Money.

 

[psalms 91]

Shame on hem and I hope he figures a way to work around them

 

[Andrew]

I work and still can't afford glasses!

 

[psalms 91]

check out a local Lions club I think they have a program to help with glasses

 

[MennoSota]

I work and still can't afford glasses!

Best place to get glasses. Cheap and good quality.
https://www.zennioptical.com/#/?gclid=CKPuktmhxbICFYYWMgodjRgASQ

 

[tango]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/state-law-church-kentucky-glasses-homeless

"For 16 years, a Kentucky church member has been giving away prescription glasses to the poor. His program, Kendall Optometry Ministry, has become so successful, it has helped thousands of people across 79 countries.

But the state now says the program is illegal and it wants Holland Kendall, the president of Kendall Optometry Ministry, to meet optical standards or close.


But the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners and the Kentucky Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers claim the practice is illegal because the glasses "are not new, first quality and made to meet the individual's personal prescriptions.""


It's a shame that this church was trying to help people in need and now they can't do that because someone's hand isn't being greased with cash. That's what it all comes down to. Money.

Heaven forbid that something that isn't quite perfectly suited to someone gets given away for free rather than going in the trash. If I couldn't afford glasses I think I'd rather accept a free pair that didn't quite match my prescription than go without.

This kind of mentality really is boneheaded. But that seems to be what government does best.

 

[NewCreation435]

i'm not sure how this is illegal if the person receiving it knows it isn't new and isn't personally exactly perfect for their prescription. Seems like it is their choice to participate or not

 

[Lamb]

i'm not sure how this is illegal if the person receiving it knows it isn't new and isn't personally exactly perfect for their prescription. Seems like it is their choice to participate or not

I agree because even though they're prescription, they aren't being sold and they're stated that they're used.

 

[tango]

i'm not sure how this is illegal if the person receiving it knows it isn't new and isn't personally exactly perfect for their prescription. Seems like it is their choice to participate or not

It's illegal because government can't let a good deed go unpunished.

When government helps protect people from force imposed by other people it's a good thing. When it tries to protect people from themselves, interfering in private matters where there is no imposition on anyone, it needs to be cut down to size.

If you can't afford to buy something perfect, given the choice between a free option that isn't quite perfect but is reasonably close even if it is used, and having to do without, I suspect many people would take the free one. It's not even as if the government is protecting the people who want to sell glasses to the homeless because it's not as if the homeless are likely to have money to pay for an eye test and then pay for glasses made exactly how they need them.

 

[hedrick]

It's illegal because government can't let a good deed go unpunished.

No. It's illegal because many professions have convinced the government that they should have a monopoly. This has been going on for a long time. It has nothing to do with liberal, conservative, or any other current political issue.

In some cases (I don't know about opticians) it's a matter of money. Either licensing fees or bribes. Look at attempts by cities that aren't well served by the Internet to do their own.

 

[tango]

No. It's illegal because many professions have convinced the government that they should have a monopoly. This has been going on for a long time. It has nothing to do with liberal, conservative, or any other current political issue.

In some cases (I don't know about opticians) it's a matter of money. Either licensing fees or bribes. Look at attempts by cities that aren't well served by the Internet to do their own.

Yep, in other words no good deed goes unpunished

Perhaps the easier option would be to continue to allow people to drop off unwanted spectacles for disposal. Then label them for disposal, you know, so similar prescriptions can go into the same garbage can. Once you know what a homeless person's prescription, it would be a shame if they rummaged in the garbage can before you had chance to send the spectacles to the landfill.

As far as licensing is concerned, in some professions it makes sense to have some kind of licensing but even then there comes a point when it makes more sense to offer accreditation options but not specifically require them. I'm a big boy, I can decide for myself whether I'd rather visit someone who is licensed or save money and visit someone who is not. Outside of areas where going to someone who doesn't know what they are doing can be fatal and the service user has little option to choose a provider (e.g. if someone collapses and is rushed to hospital the last thing they need is for whoever took them in to be dealing with an array of people, qualified and totally untrained, all saying they can fix the problem), licensing is often little more than a government protection racket.