On Fri, 16 Oct 1998, Laurence Bathurst wrote:
> Paul (or anyone else)
>
> One aspect of
> the letter intrigues me...The 'ugly laws'. This sounds too comical to
> be true (I guess I shouldn't be surprised but I am). Is there any
> information about these ugly laws? Any references?
>
Laurence,
Here is the source.
Paul
Marcia Pearce Burgdorf and Robert Burgdorf, Jr., "A History of Unequal
Treatment: The Qualifications of Handicapped Persons as a 'Suspect Class'
Under the Equal Protection Clause." Santa Clara Law Review, 15 (4) (1975),
863-4.
One collection of strange provisions which discriminate against physically
handicapped people can best be described as "ugly laws." Until recently
the Chicago Municipal Code provided: "no person who is diseased, maimed,
mutilated or in any way deformed so as to be an unsightly or disgusting
object or improper person to be allowed in or on the public ways or other
public places in this city, shall therein or thereon expose himself to
public view under a penalty of not less than one dollar nor more than
fifty dollars for each offence." 1966, repealed 1974. Columbus, Ohio, in
1972; Omaha in 1967 ["Unsightly Beggar Ordinance," Omaha Municipal Code of
1941], and other cities still have similar ordinances in effect. Lest
they be thought these are merely "dead-letter" laws, an Omaha police
officer recently arrested a man for violating such an ordinance. "'Begging
Law Punishes Only the Ugly," Omaha World Herald, April 21, 1974, B1.
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