HOMELESS: As a matter of fact…

This is in response to a letter to the editor by Jim Jackson printed in the Coeur d’Alene Press on Feb. 18 stating that “charitable leaders … of the homeless industry …” have visited a pestilence on our once safe and clean city.

Let me clear up one myth perpetuated by Mr. Jackson. The homeless have always been in this area. I learned of this problem before Fresh Start started up simply by having lunch at a soup kitchen and hearing people, yes human beings, telling me of sleeping under bridges and in their cars, some for several years, in all kinds of weather, right here in our town.

Many of the homeless are veterans, abandoned by the corporations after doing their service to defend their exploitation of the resources around the world.

I would like to know where in the Bible it says that we should not take care of the poor. If you want to practice survival of the fittest that’s fine, but don’t criticize those of us who don’t practice Darwinism. I hope you never get sick or old or destitute.

By the way, I have lived in this area most of the time for more than 70 years. I could tell a story or two about this area.

And for the letter writer who wants President Obama to refer to terrorists as “Radical Islamic Terrorists,” I suggest we then should also refer to the KKK or the Nazis as “Radical Christian Terrorists.” It makes about as much sense to put everyone in the same basket.

GARY EDWARDS

Coeur d’Alene