Visit the Photo Place

Last resort: Sprinkle the homeless all over town

Last resort: Sprinkle the homeless all over town

Date published: 5/26/2003

In light of the rejection of the Thurman Brisben Center at the industrial park site, it is time to hang it up. Through no fault of the shelter's Executive Director Bunny Meltzer or the Save Our Shelter coalition, they fought the good fight and lost. This town is too selfish and lacks compassion to serve the homeless.

For too long, the shelter staff has played by the rules. I have personally looked at the last two sites, and recognized how desperate things had become to consider such horrible locations as an isolated industrial park or ancient ruins on a rugged, steep slope.

In the tradition of Jonathan Swift's "Modest Proposal," I suggest that the existing shelter be replaced by dozens of mini-shelters located in the homes and businesses of Mayor Bill Beck, the City Council and the spiteful writer from Spotsylvania who wrote in opposition to the mere concept of the shelter, calling it "socialism" ["Keep shelter out of taxpayers' neighborhoods," Feb. 20].

Shelters can be set up in the homes of the people from the neighborhood associations whose voices resonate with venom at public meetings and the rest of the NIMBYs in this town who can only propose other sites, all of them out of sight, out of mind.

Perhaps once homeless people begin showing up on their doorsteps will our civic leaders will look into their hearts and do the right thing.

Scott Fischer

Fredericksburg

Follow us on

Read more stories about Fredericksburg
Date published: 5/26/2003