Jose Oton

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  Jose commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Who Put the "Public" in Library, Anyway?

  What elitist, intolerant thoughts are presented in the article.
  
  The public library is one of the few resources that the homeless have at their disposal.  Developing a hygiene code to gate the enjoyment of a comfortable scholastic environment and block access to information and community is a shame worthy, hateful idea.
  
  Anyone who is offended by the presence of the "unseemly  homeless" in the library and elsewhere are precisely those most in need of such exposure! (i.e. the coddled, ivory tower-esque type)
  
  We are all human beings, deserving of comparable levels of respect. A homeless presence in our libraries serves not only as an educational opportunity for the homeless, but as a reminder for people like me who might be so foolish as to believe that all people are as fortunate as I am.
  
  Instead of running away from the homeless, why not ask them their story? Try to make a friend and gain a perspective? Humans remain human, regardless of the character that a ragged appearance may suggest.
  
  I posit that children, especially, benefit immensely from the early exposure to diversity that libraries provide.