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Letter from David Primrose: <br />Property Owner's Intolerance for the Homeless II <br />Some Background <br />Definition — Intolerance or Intolerant: Unwilling to grant or share social, political, or <br />professional rights. Bigoted. (Webster' S 91h New Collegiate Dictionary) <br />I have now seen both sides of this issue, from a Renter and Homeowner's side, to the Homeless <br />point of view. There was a time I used to complain to police when I saw the Homeless remaining <br />too long in my neighborhood. I - called myself a Neighborhood watch and I thought that I was <br />doing the right thing. I justified my actions with all the prejudice I believed to be true and I had <br />the law backing me up. Little did I know that I was committing an immoral act, adding to the <br />misery of the Homeless. You see, back then I didn't want to know the Homeless or learn why <br />our community had homelessness. I just didn't want them in my neighborhood. I feared that my <br />neighborhood was turning into a slum.. <br />It wasn't long before I was evicted from my home and I became Homeless. Little did I know that <br />that eviction meant I must drop -out of society as well. By that means I was taught the hard - lesson <br />of Intolerance. Now I know that my Intolerance was based on bigotry and arrogance and I am <br />humbled and ashamed. <br />Through my experience I learned that no one chooses to become Homeless, and that it is a <br />financial condition that is forced upon you. one thing for certain, for every Homeless person out <br />there, there is a loss that caused their homelessness and the person may be a victim of that loss. <br />The good news is that Homelessness often is reversible. The challenge facing local government <br />is how to properly address Homelessness without worsening the condition. <br />The Problem <br />To date Eugene and Lane County have struggled to address the needs of the Homeless and Home <br />Dwellers alike with marginal success; however the laws that have been adopted are in my <br />opinion infringing on Homeless Civil Liberties. <br />First of all we must recognize that the Homeless are Citizen too and should enjoy all the civil <br />liberties that everyone else enjoys_ No law should infringe on those liberties no matter how <br />inconvenient that might seem. Laws are written to protect civil liberties for we recognize the <br />need to protect the poor from those who would selfishly deny them their rights. <br />Secondly we must recognize that EVERYONE should have the right to sleep through the night <br />for good physical and mental health. <br />