Homeless citizens more than thieves, drug addicts

As I opened up the Mailbag section of the Wildcat yesterday and browsed through the letters that were submitted, I couldn't help but stop and lose my lunch over a letter by Mr. Gabriel Leake. He obviously knows nothing about the origins of many of our homeless citizens today.

He quickly denounces them as thieves and drug addicts as though these labels provide an explanation of their situation and a justification for their eradication. If he had actually examined the "facts," as he claims he did, he would realize that many of today's homeless citizens are on the streets because of a movement in the '70s that de-institutionalized mental patients and essentially dumped them out of hospitals and onto the street. Drug addiction and theft are likely byproducts of trying to survive and to cope with a desolate and confusing existence.

Furthermore, if, as Mr. Leake would have us all believe, being a liberal means respecting the rights of others to govern their own lives (scary, that sounds almost democratic!), recognizing women as human beings (I know, it's a bit radical), or not rushing off to foreign lands to slaughter millions of innocent people simply because we decide that their way of life isn't compatible with our ideal for the world (did someone say, "Hitler?"), well then, hey, call me "liberal" (though, in fact, I refuse to claim either label because both sides have their virtues and their follies).

When did many of the conservatives forget that at one time their views were the radical liberal views? And when did they decide that their current conservative paradigm was the ultimate and perfect state of existence for the entire world, despite the fact that no paradigm has lasted indefinitely? Conversely, why have many of the liberals forgotten that some traditions really are grounded in sound logical reasoning and that they are not all arcane practices of some obsolete regime whose only purpose was to oppress?

Ravi Arora
psychology senior

Candidates to blame for low student poll interest

As tempting as it is to blame apathy for low student turnout at the polls and at Sunday night's candidate forum, there's evidence that students might not be the whole problem. Yes, students should be more politically active, vote more, demand more. It's a disgrace how many young people feel their vote is unimportant, or - worse yet - that politics don't influence their lives.

But truly, the politicians themselves deserve much of the blame, for students are not always apathetic.

In early 2000 I attended a campaign rally for then-presidential candidate John McCain at Bear Down Gym. The entire floor was packed with students. I'm about as liberal as they come and a registered Democrat, but I was still terribly excited to be a part of the energy in the room that night. McCain, despite years of service as a senator, was convincing people that he did not represent politics as usual. And that message filled Bear Down with students. To see that people my age could turn out for a political event really gave me hope.

This year, Howard Dean has followed a similar path to McCain's out-of-nowhere shot in 2000. And his novel approach to fundraising and politics is attracting young voters.

I'm sure all the Democratic candidates want UA students to turn out and vote in Arizona's primary that is coming up in just a few months. But if they write off youth because few show up to hear their "representatives" then they have no business expecting our support on Feb. 3.

Matthew Petersen
UA alumnus

People should consider 'facts' about homeless

In his letter, "Tunnel of Oppression full of misrepresentation," Gabriel Leake reminded us to "check the facts" regarding homelessness. Taking his advice, I checked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's information on the homeless. It, in conjunction with the National Coalition for the Homeless, gave these facts:

More than 20 percent of the nation's homeless have jobs. Inadequate wages and benefits force them to the streets. Simply put, working a minimum wage job doesn't gain the employee enough money to escape poverty. Obviously, the most controversial aspect of homelessness is substance abuse. Mr. Leake confidently proclaimed that most of the homeless are drug addicts. The "facts" he encouraged us to seek out prove Mr. Leake wrong. Around 35 percent of the homeless struggle with substance abuse. This is admittedly disproportionately higher than other demographics, but does not constitute a majority of the homeless.

Moreover, let us also consider these numbers: Roughly 40 percent of the homeless population is children. More than half of women and children without homes have left theirs in order to flee domestic violence. More than 20 percent of the homeless battle mental illness. If Mr. Leake is in the business of generalizations, it would be more appropriate of him to "check the facts" first. In this case, his generalization about the homeless proved to be sorely lacking coherence. Homelessness and poverty are complex issues that, above all, should not elicit scorn, but genuine care and concern for our fellow brothers and sisters.

Aaron Mertz
secondary education senior