Real Responsibility

To the Editors of The Crimson:

Without question, the homeless should be allowed to sleep on the grates behind Leverett House, and the University's decision to bar them is repugnant. However, the general outcry that has ensued is both self-righteous and insipid. The homeless crisis requires tough answers and sacrifice. The real question is not one of steam vents, but of our responsibility. Are we responsible for the homeless? If we are truly committed to the homeless then we must raise taxes to build low income housing. We must supply halfway houses and counseling services. We must supply job training and job opportunities. We must offer our time to shelters and kitchens. Any solution requires real sacrifice. The problem is complex, and, of course, it is easier to point fingers at "the establishment" than it is to discuss the real issue. Yet we all know that if we cannot honestly face the problem we will not find a solution. If the only change we seek merely offers the homeless an outdoor grate upon which to sleep, then we do not offer love and justice but cathartic sentimentality. David Angel '87