Assemblyman Randy Sulte’s comments about homeless people clearly come from a place of ignorance. I suspect that Mr. Sulte has never visited a homeless camp or Sullivan Arena or Brother Francis or even spoken to a homeless person. Homeless people are not some monolith, all having the same story and circumstances; they are a cross-section of our society as a whole. His comments “I get it. Homelessness. These are noncontributing members of our society. It’s hard to spend money on them. But if we ignore a problem I guarantee it only gets worse. So we have to do something,”
Has the undertone that a great many people think if you’re poor — or worse, homeless — that you are lazy; this is an oversimplification of a complex issue. Some are indeed non-productive members of our society; however, some have jobs and are simply trying to get back on their feet. The cost of housing in our city certainly does not help. Some are mentally ill and can not function or hold a job; some are addicted to substances and are basically as described.
I would invite Mr. Sulte to educate himself and speak from a place of knowledge and experience, lest he make more comments as those above.
— Shawn O’Donnell
— Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.