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Compassion—or
a Boot in the Ass?
To
the Editor:
I
just read the article “You Can’t Come Here Anymore” [Nov.
29] and was left with such great sadness that I felt the need
to respond. I must say that I’m very happy that the city of
Troy is experiencing a bit of revitalization. It’s great.
Unfortunately it appears that this is being done without taking
into consideration the needs of all the city’s residents.
I laughed when I read the statement of Ms. Pfeil’s saying
“all the stars are aligned.” For whom are these stars aligned?
They are certainly not aligned for those residents of Troy
who are homeless and currently sleeping in the more remote
city parks because there is no room in local shelters. They
are not aligned for the people attempting to get food from
the Roarke pantry only to be told that the shelves are empty.
They are not aligned for the residents who are being forced
to leave their modest housing in order for gentrification
to occur. They are not aligned for the folks who are being
forced out of the public park in order to improve the
view for the privileged.
This all seems to me to be a symptom of the big sad picture
of this country. What about taking the time to get to know
each other? What about offering up some of those beautiful,
newly renovated condos and apartments as income-adjusted rentals?
How about asking the folks who use the park for their ideas
about how to remodel it? What about asking how people can
be helped instead of how we can make them disappear? Do we
all realize that these ‘idlers’ who use this park are our
relatives—our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters,
our parents and grandparents? Is it so hard to look at their
reality that we need to force them to cluster elsewhere so
that we won’t have to see them? This will never change anything.
It will only cause hurt and anger and more divisiveness. Is
this really how Troy wants to be known? Seems like we could
do so much better than this. The need is not for more ‘upscale’
housing and shopping places. The need is for more compassion
and genuine care for all. That is what will make us proud
of our city of Troy.
Beth
Ruland, Johnsonville
To
the Editor:
I
am writing to you about Chet Hardin’s recent article that
tried to pit “the homeless” against those who are making Troy
a livable city again.
Having grown up in Troy in the 1960s and ’70s, I know the
Stanley’s/Pigeon Park area very well. Since when, however,
Mr. Hardin, do the public urinators get the right to defend
their lifestyle and a voice in public policy? There are different
kinds of poor, and this article focused on a group of shiftless
bums who need to get off the dole, off the bench, off the
bottle, and get on the deal. If not, they deserve a boot in
the ass, not a nice neighborhood to live in and an article
in their defense.
My grandparents raised 12 kids in North Albany on a butcher’s
salary and they worked around the clock to do right. Even
though they had nothing, they were clean, had dignity, and
took pride in providing what little they could. They were
poor, but they weren’t part of the problem.
If you are poor, that’s fine. But being a filthy, public menace
is unacceptable. Apparently Metroland doesn’t know
the difference.
Susan
Petrie, Albany
Metroland
welcomes typed, double-spaced letters addressed to the editor.
Metroland reserves the right to edit letters for length
or clarity; 300 words is the preferred maximum. You must include
your name, address and day and evening telephone numbers.
We will not publish letters that cannot be verified, nor those
that are anonymous, illegible, irresponsible or factually
inaccurate.
Send
to:
Letters, Metroland
419 Madison Ave., Albany, NY 12210
e-mail:
metroland@metroland.net
fax:
463-3726
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