Today's Sunday OPEX has a commentary entitled A Challenge to Sleep Inside
from a shelter provider talking of turning people out into the cold for lack of
spaces.
A quote from the commentary: " Kristin calls from the women's shelter.
They're full, but St. Francis Hospital in Shakopee wants to cab over someone
who is using a feeding tube. Staff will take her and try to see if they can
make her feel more comfortable despite her medical needs."
A few days ago I was at a meeting of various homeless advocates. One man
sounded indignant about the Bridge Rods. "They spend thousands of dollars to
install those things."
All in attendance agreed the money should have been used for sheltering
people instead of trying to keep them out from under Mpls. bridges.
The writer of today's commentary only focuses on the governor and
legislators for needing to create change.
That is too narrow a scope... the Mayor of Mpls, the City Council and the
County Commissioners need to be raising a ruckus about these conditions and
taking action.
It is way too easy to allow these officials to pass the buck to the state
level and say they have no control over what happens to people with no place,
absolutely no place to go.
And warm weather does not make it ok for people to be forced outside. It
still gets cold at night in the warmer months, it is still inhumane.
The purpose of a democracy, I once heard, was to protect the minority
from the tyranny of the majority.
And it is up to our elected officials to enforce this principal.
Margaret Hastings-Mpls-Kingfield
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