Don’t scapegoat Lowell’s homeless population
It’s been disappointing to see homelessness and mental illness used as scapegoats for struggling businesses downtown.
Downtown Lowell is an unpleasant place to spend time because of constant heavy traffic along Merrimack and Central. Noise and pollution, lack of space for outdoor seating, lack of shade and shelter, lack of safe and convenient pedestrian crossings… these are major factors discouraging patronage of downtown businesses. I also suspect it was not a homeless person who drove a car into Purple Carrot’s windows and caused them to be boarded up for months.
I am sure business owners in the area have had unpleasant encounters like what the folks at Purple Carrot describe, but let’s not overstate things. It is the nature of being homeless that people need to find a place to sleep and relieve themselves. As someone who is downtown every day, I do not see any reality that matches the dire descriptions of life downtown painted in City Council meetings.
It’s striking that homeless Lowellians are discussed as if they are a pest-control problem. City Council meetings focus on how the law does not allow arrest and involuntary commitment except in extreme circumstances, or how aid programs are overbooked. But fundamentally we have more unhoused people because housing is expensive, and the stress of homelessness does not make any existing mental health issues better or more treatable. The framing placed on this issue by a few business owners, some councilors, and sometimes even The Sun itself, is neither accurate nor compassionate.
— Rob Zacny
Lowell
Queen Elizabeth II, a contest in global leadership
It was amazing to see the outpouring of Love, Respect, and Devotion displayed to Queen Elizabeth II at her passing. It didn’t matter whether you were a world leader, rich, poor, or whatever your nationality, religion, or color of your skin was. The genuine tears shed for her and the tributes and pageantry were well deserved. With all the wealth and life advantages that she possessed, no one was beneath her humility. The queen represented a bastion of peace and tranquility. Will we ever see the respect and love shown to a world leader like this again in our lifetime?
And then there is Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, who uses brutality and torture to secure wealth and power over freedom loving people. His own people are subjugated by his ruthless ways in governing his country. His friends are the rich oligarchs who control the Russian economy. But, Putin, this evil despot, is sure to fall soon as his own people will turn against him and as the world watches.
— Larry Fraticelli
Leominster