Bellingham Herald Logo

Sees injustice in lack of shelter for homeless | Bellingham Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • News Tips
    • Share a Photo
  • Dealsaver

    • All News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Northwest
    • Nation & World
    • Weird News
    • Local Elections
    • Videos
    • Galleries
    • Traffic Cams
    • Webcam
    • Reader Photos
    • Columnists
    • Rules of the Road
    • All Sports
    • Seahawks
    • Mariners
    • Outdoors
    • Colleges
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • All Business
    • National Business
    • All Entertainment
    • Calendar
    • Restaurants
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Movie Showtimes
    • Celebrities
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • All Living
    • Celebrations
    • Food & Drink
    • Families
    • Primetime Seniors
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Local Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary

  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Letters to the Editor

Sees injustice in lack of shelter for homeless

    ORDER REPRINT →

December 11, 2014 12:00 AM

Being homeless is not a crime, right? But if you break the law and are convicted, as an incarcerated prisoner you have the right to be fed nutritious meals, adequately housed in relative comfort and provided with medical treatment if you become ill. All free of charge.

If you are a criminal in an American prison you have more legal rights to nutrition, safety and general well being than innocent, law abiding citizens. Why is that?

Homeless people and their children deserve adequate shelter as much as criminals. Not having shelter is not a crime, they are not guilty of breaking any laws.

The prison industry makes a profit from providing long term housing to a large number of people. America houses 2.2 million prisoners every night and averages 610,000 homeless citizens. Here in Bellingham the one night point-in-time count numbered 553 homeless or unsheltered citizens.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Bellingham Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

We all deserve a safe place to sleep. It’s a necessity. We make sure the criminals in the supermax prison have comfortable bedding and they are all guilty law breakers. The homeless people I see everyday are as law abiding as anyone, they are not guilty of anything and are just as innocent as everyone else.

Why don’t we guarantee them a safe bed? If we can do it for the criminals, can’t we do the same for the innocent homeless child and her mother fleeing domestic violence? Why reward the ones who break the law?

Robert Loftin

Bellingham

  Comments  

Videos

Fire officials investigating dumpster fire in Bellingham alley

Security camera videos capture ‘person of interest’ in Bellingham fire

View More Video

Trending Stories

Whatcom County Corrections deputy fired for relationship with inmate

February 22, 2019 09:34 AM

Here’s where the cat cafe will open, plus trampoline park to open and free chowder

February 23, 2019 05:00 AM

Grieving parents say Washington’s wrongful-death law is unfair. They want changes

February 22, 2019 04:29 PM

What does your toilet paper choice mean for Mother Earth?

February 22, 2019 11:40 AM

Bird by bird, Bellingham artist turned an alley into a beloved icon. Then came the fire

February 23, 2019 05:00 AM

things to do

Read Next

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor for the month of February 2019

The Bellingham Herald encourages community commentary using Facebook comments on this story.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Bellingham Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor for the month of January 2019

January 01, 2019 05:00 AM

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor for the month of December 2018

December 01, 2018 05:00 AM

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor for the month of November 2018

November 01, 2018 05:00 AM

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor for the month of October, 2018

October 02, 2018 08:58 AM

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor for the month of September, 2018

September 14, 2018 10:30 AM

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor for the month of August 2018

August 01, 2018 05:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Bellingham Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Subscriber Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Place an Obituary
  • Place a Celebration
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story