By Kenneth McCrae Santa Monica
In direct response to Julie Reeves (SMDP, July 13, 2002, Letters): Many of Santa Monica’s homeless residents (oxymoronic, but correct! Perhaps we should call ourselves ‘domicilely challenged citizens’?) would gladly go to work if we could find some!
Obviously, you have never had to face homelessness or you would NOT consider it easier than being gainfully employed.
Sorry you got a ticket for overparking; come join the homeless and you won’t have to worry about that again — everywhere we go, we walk, dragging our meager belongings with us!
You keep harping on the fact that Santa Monica’s homeless citizens have access to 21 meals a week! (A little satire here, in case you can’t guess!) Why, that’s three meals a day! What a concept! I don’t know anyone who eats three meals a day, do you? (But that’s only for those who can travel, dragging their belongings behind them, to the many locations, sometimes with conflicting schedules, and tolerate the often prerequisite religious brainwashing!) (You should see what some of these ‘meals’ consist of!) Close down the food lines? The homeless who depend on them will be forced to find food in other ways: panhandling (you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!), petty theft, dumpster-diving, trashcan buffet, etc., but most will not consider leaving Santa Monica. Why not, instead, provide a place away from downtown where feedings can take place?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 24, 2002. Read the original PDF.