How could anyone possibly condone the inhumane plan outlined recently by the Anchorage Homeless Coordinator for the homeless people in Anchorage? It would be intolerably cruel to allow hundreds of people to stay where they are through the winter months. How many of these officials think they would survive freezing temperatures, sometimes as cold as 10 below with wind chill, even lower in a tent?
They certainly know it will lead to many deaths; is that the solution they have arrived at? The ideas thrown out there of maybe a hotel room, maybe a warming station, maybe a plane ticket, maybe volunteers — but just maybe the homeless coordinator, city officials and Assembly have fallen to the depths of depravity. Is this any kind of solution, to let them freeze?
Not one of them would deserve to die because of their lack of abilityto care for themselves. Most of us, me included, have been aggravated and had damage done by the sheer numbers of manymentally ill or addicted people congregated in our parks and even along city trails and streets. Police reports have been made to no avail — but is this what decent people want to happen to thedestitute, death? It has been claimed that money is the problem, but that just comes across as a statement that their lives are not worth enough, so let them die. If even one of their lives is so worthless, then no one’s life is worth anything either.
— Karen Delkettie
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.