By Rick Reutter Santa Monica
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t comment on Matthew Muzio’s letter (“Wake-up call for city’s homeless,” Feb. 13, page 4), but the sheer silliness of it deserves some remark.
The city of Santa Monica has already passed a municipal ordinance banning “camping in public” and, several years ago, an ordinance prohibiting sleeping in entrances to buildings.
The result: People can still be observed camping in public and sleeping in doorways.
Why is this? Quite simply, when people are forced to live 24 hours a day in public view they will no doubt be observed sleeping in public view. Many Americans have learned to tolerate, and become indifferent to, the fact that millions of our citizens are forced to make their living quarters on the streets of our cities.
“Passing a law” does nothing to alleviate this willingness to put up with such extreme poverty.
As for Mr. Muzio’s fatuous suggestion that Santa Monica consider becoming a gated community... words fail me.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 15, 2007. Read the original PDF.