Seeing both sides of: Forcing the homeless inside
Duncan police welcome a new law that allows them to take the homeless into shelters.
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Published: November 07, 2009 6:00 AM
The case for
There are few, if any, people living on the streets who actually want to be there.
These are people who either don’t have better choices available, or lack lack the skills to make those chaoices.
Many of them are mentally ill.
It is not abusing their rights to stop them from freezing to death.
This is a case of helping those who are often unable to help themselves.
The case against
The key to helping the homeless is showing them the benefits of good choices, rather than forcing choices on them.
This law is going to create distrust between street people and those who can help them.
The basic principle of fighting poverty is a hand up, not a hand out.
This law is not an open hand. It’s a clenched fist.
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