A group of homeless people gather at Linear Park on 25th Ave. near People Place. Council voted Monday for Vernon bylaw officials to ignore the no camping in parks between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. bylaw after 7 p.m. to allow the homeless population to set up camps before sundown. (Parker Crook/Morning Star)

A group of homeless people gather at Linear Park on 25th Ave. near People Place. Council voted Monday for Vernon bylaw officials to ignore the no camping in parks between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. bylaw after 7 p.m. to allow the homeless population to set up camps before sundown. (Parker Crook/Morning Star)

Letter: Let’s do something to help homeless

Why are they being left out in the cold and wet?

I am writing on behalf of those poor benighted people who are marooned on the boulevard near People Place.

Why are they being left out in the cold and wet? We send billions of dollars to third-world countries every year. Why can we not look after our own?

I can only guess the reason they have ended up living like stray dogs that no one wants to even think about, never mind do something for.

Are we waiting for them to die of cold, wet and exposure?

Yes, they should be working and looking after themselves but they aren’t. They are ill. They must be mentally, emotionally, and especially, spiritually ill to have allowed themselves to fall into such a degraded state.

For pity’s sake, we pay enormous taxes, we give money to new immigrants from other countries… what in blazes is wrong with us? Why have we become so numb to the suffering of our own people? Even worse, why have so many of our young become so helpless?

Right now, it’s somebody else’s kin who are out in the wet and cold. Tomorrow, it could easily be yours, or even worse it could be you. Stop looking for the government to step forward. It’s not going to happen and I won’t forward thoughts on that matter.

There are empty buildings all over the place: The old Bargain Bin store, the empty Canadian Tire building — how much damage could they do?

Come on folks, let’s invest something to provide some kind of shelter while they are still alive, and let’s all of us who can pray ask for ideas, solutions, whatever they need to turn this around — while they’re still alive.

G. Bain

Vernon Morning Star