Editor,
I for one have grown tired of Arnold Hano’s pronouncements (“Opponents Exaggerate Actions of Homeless People,” Letters, May 2).
Yes, in modern language we are a freaky, open society with a history of great tolerance. After all, on Memorial Day weekend hundreds of visitors from around the world will go to our gay and lesbian friendly beach, West Street, in South Laguna.
Hano wants us to embrace the homeless and apparently is in favor of housing another 40 people in a new apartment house in Laguna Canyon, but he doesn’t live in the canyon and doesn’t suffer from the outrageous negative impact of our present homeless shelter occupants.
According to Hano, the food served by Agewell Senior Services to seniors on weekdays at the Susi Q is “unedible,” but regular Lunch Bunch participants and the recent lunch manager, Larry Arms, who just retired after three years of service, have never seen Hano at senior lunch in the Susi Q.
I see Mr. Hano at our public library, but I don’t think he realizes that the library has nearly 20 computers, which are often monopolized by the homeless. In the area of the library that has 14 computers in one space, librarians and staff call the Laguna police often to restore order.
Arnold Hano doesn’t use our bus station or ride our local and OCTA big buses. Our police spend endless hours dealing with homeless behavior at our bus depot and for many locals it has become a “no man’s land” because of panhandling, drunks, arguments and psychos. I took the OCTA #89 east on Laguna Canyon road recently and warned the lady driver she should not allow a homeless man aboard because of his behavior at the bus depot. She let him board and between downtown and the shelter he terrorized women and men to the point that the driver asked him to get off the bus, but he refused. At least two passengers called 911 and so did the driver. Finally she stopped at the stop near the shelter and stepped off the bus to await the Laguna police. They showed up and finally the man left the bus.
To say Hano is out of touch is an understatement. Being an eloquent writer doesn’t make Hano a valid critic.
Roger Carter, Laguna Beach
After reading Mr. Carter’s letter regarding Arnold Hano’s position on the homeless shelter, I’m left wondering if the greater embarrassment was the author’s attack on Mr. Hano or his position on the homeless. As Mr. Hano is fully capable of defending himself, I’ll focus on the homeless. No doubt Mr. Carter is quite proud of his letter. All the more shame. The stereotyping and complete lack of empathy expressed by him is appalling.
What is this nonsense “in modern language we are a freaky, open society with a history of great tolerance”? We are all humans, in all our variations. Too bad he finds differences “freaky.” Some are well off financially, others are not. Differences do not entitle one to feel superior. Perhaps he should stop being “tolerant” and instead start being respectful. Certainly there is mental illness within the homeless population, but that does no warrant calling them “psychos.” Certainly some have psychological problems, but I’ve been on the beach many mornings and watched homeless people cleaning up trash. Laguna is their home too. Homeless people have every right to use the computers at the library. We don’t call it a “Public Library” for nothing. Although some may just be “killing time,” others are writing friends or family. They owe neither a reason nor an apology either for being at the library or for their very existence. Many are veterans that served our nation with honor. All are deserving of dignity.
Perhaps Mr. Carter would do well to self invoke the adage “tis better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.”