COLD-HEARTED ATTITUDE TOWARD HOMELESSNESS

To the Editor,

Re: Shame belongs to addicts, not city, News Bulletin, April 10.

John is in his forties. Tall, handsome and very intelligent. He holds
the highest certificate issued for the trade he works in and is
considered one of the best.

John is one of the citizens on the Island that J. Sharpe is quite
willing to qualify as an individual who should take responsibility
for his predicament.

You see Mr. Sharpe, John is an addict.

In the city where he lives he has, and likely will again, slept in
vans, cars and benches in our parks.

He has had support from his mother and some of his sisters. But when
the pain is unbearable he slips back to the depths of despair and
finds some comfort for a few minutes in his addiction even though he
has often tried to kick the habit.

In his 20s, John watched his young son burn to death in a house fire
and he was unable to come to his rescue. Subsequently he lost his
family to a divorce.

A few years later he met and fell in love again with a beautiful
young lady. One night she took his car and committed suicide. The
next morning he was called to identify the body.

John is my nephew and to J. Sharpe I say, "Let me judge you." To me
you are an empty and cold hearted individual who is unable to have
compassion and or understanding of some of our fellow citizen's pain
and despair.

Your sense of righteousness is beyond my comprehension. I hope that
Nanaimo has very few cruel people like you.

Frances Ziebart

Nanaimo