Today's editorial on the Homeless Memorial March and service being held tonight missed the mark. Simply lamenting the apathy that causes people to live and die in homelessness only serves to provide a rationale for continued apathy. I am very interested in the McLaughlin vs. Rybak Mayoral contest. Perhaps neither of them sees homelessness as an issue that they need worry about politically, thus no need to seriously speak to it, make a commitment to end it. Certainly Mayor Rybak has done zip on the homelessness front. Except for being confronted on his counting shelter mats as affordable housing which forced him to correct this misrepresentation. It does not cost money out of the City Budget to step up and say we need to end the abuse and criminalization of persons experiencing homelessness. It does not take money out of the City Budget to take leadership to bring this issue out of the shadows, out of the loneliness of bridges, and shelters and desparate cold nights. It does take courage to step up as an elected official and challenge each of us to end our bias, prejudice and turning our back on our fellow human beings. And maybe this issue can be addressed as the social justice issue/human rights issue that it truly is. Margaret Hastings Kingfield REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
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