This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
While reading a recent newspaper article regarding our plan to deal with homeless in Longmont , I became increacingly dishartened, but I preserved until I came on a comments by a ranking elected offical bemoaning “toxic charity”. I was stopped cold.
To my way of thinking charity is given freely to help the needy , not a bribe or a prod to elicit specific behaviors pleaseing to the giver
But if my reading of the reportage is correct to give freely , without caveats just to fill a need is “toxic” .
“Toxic” not only to the reciepant,but to the giver , in fact toxic to the community at large. According to the same offical charity must come with restrictions , some quid pro quo, or it becomes “toxic”.
As I skimmed the remainder of the piece I came phrases such as “turn on the sprinklers at night to drive “them” out, keep “them out of doorways, alley, parks, drive “them” out of “our” town. I got the impression the select panel was not intent on finding a soloution to homelessness but rather to declare war on the homeless, I can only fervently hope those seemingly to wage this war never face the horror of not having a place to lay their head or the heartbreak of knowing a loved one is sleeping in a doorway or ally or wakened by sprinkler .
“They” are not another species, “they “ are us, brothers, sisters,parents children friends. How can any kindness shown to them be “toxic”.
Lora Lee Hinton, Longmont, CO
