12/1/2013:A1: GATHERING PLACE: The corner of Fourth and D streets, shown Saturday afternoon, is a common hangout for people who don't have homes. As the weather turns cold and wet, people who have been camping come into downtown Santa Rosa to get out of the elements and be closer to city services.PC: Raymond Sawyer, 68, right, who has been homeless in Santa Rosa for seven years, sits at his regular bench and is greeted by his friend Rickey, at the corner of Fourth Street and D Street, in downtown Santa Rosa, Calif., on November 30, 2013. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
Shelter from the cold
EDITOR: How can we allow even one of our fellow citizens to shiver outside in temperatures 13 degrees below freezing? There are countless heated spaces sitting empty all night — schools, churches, veterans buildings, university halls and more. Surely the cost of heating them could be found in government coffers, or through private donations.
As I sit here writing, cold even with the heat on, I cannot imagine unfortunate men, women and even children huddling under bridges or in doorways. Everywhere I look, and from all sides, comes the cacophony of Christmas. Surely, whatever our beliefs, we cannot turn our backs on these suffering people.
HANK BASSIOR
Graton
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