I am a 54-year-old single white male living in Lakeview. I read with disgust the foulmouthed diatribe of Thax Douglas in his response to Mark Weinberg [“Working for Change,” March 1].
I was homeless six years ago for a period of two years. Because of the benevolence of people who cared, I found my way back to being a productive part of society. It wasn’t easy, the road was long and hard. But I set my mind to work out all the problems I alone had created for myself.
Like many other white, middle-class people, I was of the opinion “it will never happen to me.” What a wake-up call it was for me to find a pink slip included with my last paycheck.
There are many people like me who have no addictions (drugs nor alcohol), who have become homeless, and have fought back to be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.
I suggest that Mr. Thax is part of the problem. My reasoning is simple. The biggest problem homeless people face on a daily basis is one of being the most invisible part of society. People have this mind-set that if they just ignore a homeless person then they’ll disappear.
Mr. Thax, unless you are independently wealthy or have won the lottery, you, like most of us, are only one or two paychecks away from being homeless yourself.
Take a long look at your priorities, pal. You might be next in line at a local shelter for the homeless!
Stuart Kahn
Lakeview