HOOKERS NOTHING MORE THAN CAUTIONARY TALE

THE EDITOR:

I am responding to the July 19 edition of the Times and the article 'The
streets a hard life in Abby.'

I agree very much that this city has progressively gone downhill due to the
prostitution and drug problems we seem to be facing all too often.

But I'm sorry, I don't believe that these women deserve compassion and care
when what they are doing is so wrong. These women had a choice in life,
just as each of us do. They chose the route of no success.

Am I supposed to feel bad that these women created their own drug problems
by associating with those people of their choice? Please. These women make
our city look awful, unclean and dangerous.

They are out in the prime of day for everyone to see. This is supposed to
be the so-called 'Bible Belt,' yet there is nothing but complete sin. It is
not the responsibility of hardworking moral people to help get these
disease-spreading, halfwits off the streets and rehabilitated.

Chances are that even with some help these prostitutes will just turn
around, fall in a deeper hole, legs spread and hand out, asking for more help.

It is terrifying to think that so many men are paying for sex before work.
How many of these men have wives sleeping at home in bed, not even knowing?
This is how innocent people suffer by this act of indecency.

I understand that many of these women are ill mentally, but their
addictions to crack, heroin or whatever does not help.

The truth is we need to spread the awareness for help before these women
turn to prostitution as an answer because only a pimp will listen. That is
what is truly unacceptable.

Spread the awareness that there is a life that is available to all before
the prostitution. With it being almost acceptable, we need to change that
view and show how dangerous and draining it is on the human spirit before
we have to face the problem of 14-, 15- or even 13-year-old girls walking
the streets here as they already do in Vancouver.

S.M. Latimer

Abbotsford