Letter: Athenians can solve homeless problem by opening their homes
January 24, 2008
I confess that I get a little weary of Mr. Wasserman's whining on behalf of the homeless (letter in the Jan. 17 issue). For me, the issue is quite simple. There doesn't need to be an "official" shelter for people who, for whatever reason, find themselves without roof and food.
The problem isn't that Mr. Wasserman is experiencing an escalation of homeless people. The problem, as I see it, lies in the fearful or uncaring hearts of the citizens of Athens.
I wrote a poem a few years ago entitled: The Garages of Edina (Minnesota). The homeless shelters in Minneapolis have the same complaints and pleading tone as Mr. Wasserman's letter to the editor. The garages of Edina are heated in the winter and house BMWs, Mercedes and more than an occasional Lexus.
There are plenty of heated garages in that opulent suburb that could be used for all of the homeless in Minneapolis... making shelters obsolete and forcing the founders and executive directors to find other forms of work. The solution is an easy one but the human heart is hard: adopt a homeless family. There are very few houses in Athens that don't have enough room for another person or two. Wouldn't that make you content, Mr. Wasserman? What cause would you whine about then, sir?
Liam Joshua Cohen
Alpine, Texas??
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