 |
|
|
|
|
| 2/17/2009 6:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Park death
Homeless people should not still be dying of exposure
The death of a man in Parque de Vida last week is unacceptable. Well into the 21st century, Cortez should not be a place where people die of exposure.
The Bridge Emergency Shelter has provided a place for cooperative individuals to sleep on cold nights. Two local churches provide noon meals six days a week. Law-enforcement officials spend more time than they should have to, performing welfare checks on people who appear to need help.
But in the case of Herman Scott, the safeguards were inadequate. Scott may not have been alive when the sun came up that morning; that his body lay in a park gazebo until 11:30 a.m. is mind-boggling. Someone should have noticed, and acted.
It's true that there are many places for a person to sleep out of plain sight. It's also true that dealing with problems like Scott's is challenging, especially without cooperation from those who need assistance. Nonetheless, they cannot be left to die.
Just one more sweep of Parque de Vida last Thursday night might have saved Herman Scott. That seems like a small enough price to pay, and a civilized community will find a way to pay it. We hope someone has already convened a meeting to determine how Scott fell through the cracks.
|
Article Comment Submission Form
|
|
|
|
|
