Don’t call it a homeless issue. The homeless at Pathways aren’t using or committing crimes. What people are seeing on the streets and what they’re upset about are the addicted and the mentally ill. Homelessness is just a symptom of addiction and mental illness.

Breweries and bars aren’t to blame, obviously. But, it is ridiculous to think that someone that produces alcohol and is a veteran himself doesn’t understand addiction. Veterans are a large percent of our homeless population. Many of them have PTSD, and they used alcohol or drugs to cope with flashbacks and panic attacks. Why is that?

Not once in any of these articles or comments have I seen a list of totally free therapists, rehabs, doctors, free prescription programs, and other programs for our addicted. People that can’t pass a drug test need help. That’s where our focus should be. 

Moving the soup kitchen a few blocks away from where it is now will do what? It will further create an imagined fear of our homeless. 

I walk through Frog Level twice a day just to get to work to feed my family. I’ve never had a crime committed against me by a homeless person. I’ve had people throw cans of beer at me from a car, I’ve had police officers harass me just for walking through the neighborhood at 4:30 a.m. making me late for work at 5 a.m. in Hazelwood. 

I have never in my life seen a bunch of people so afraid of the poor as I have lately. I’m sad, ashamed of my community, and sickened over it. Hating our addicted, our poor and our homeless won’t solve anything. Moving the soup kitchen doesn’t change anything other than the bar can better cater to people with imagined fears. 

This is manipulation for money, and such a shame. How so many people find it credible and factual to slap labels on the poor and yet serve the poison to the people to make them sicker is beyond me. Is he really the person you want to listen to and speak for you? There are some loud supporters of this hatred, you know the type, to put exclamation points after every sentence. I’m calling on you all to get vocal when you see them get loud. Do not be silent while this happens. 

Irene Tyli

Waynesville