Social apathy most damaging

It is not surprising that city council reacted to the homeless encampments in the parks by enforcing encampment eviction. Nor is it surprising that city crews recently took away a homeless man’s only belonging, a strip of tarp, indifferent to the man’s plight, and leaving the homeless man worse than before.

So why should governments care about or fix overcrowded and unsafe emergency shelters for example, when many of us have passed by a homeless person sleeping on a patch of grass, and think nothing of it or look the other way as well? If we are to address and understand homelessness, we must also address our attitude and response to homelessness, embracing compassion, understanding and empathy. Nothing is more damaging to a society than the malady of social apathy.

Tina Maini, Hamilton