No one's rights should interfere with the rights of others. If someone is interfereing with someone's peaceful use of the facility, that should be addressed. |
NP but WOW. The homeless have more of a right to browse the internet and sleep at the library than children studying and using books? |
I agree with the person who says the homeless have no where else to go. Where is your compassion for people less fortunate than you? And what are you teaching your kids by not having conversations about poverty and our duty to treat those who don't have a home with the respect that every person deserves. |
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There are a lot of students who also don't have any other place to go study, use the internet or access to other books.
The homeless have their shelter right next door they can use. |
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NP-
Yes children... Please respect the putrid smelling man, surfing the Internet for porno and rubbing himself. Let's not make him uncomfortable. Why don't we walk over though and see if can help him in some way. |
What do you mean they have no place else to go? They have the shelter, open 24/7. Why do the children have to vacate and study at home so the homeless can take over the library, rather than the homeless vacating and staying in the shelter (or at least not in the library) so the children can study? |
It is being addressed. The police are called to that library repeatedly. But at a certain point, you've got to acknowledge that allowing homeless men into the library to disrupt other people isn't working. |
OP here, and that's the "extreme liberalism" I'm talking about. They would rather kick the children out of the library so the homeless can sleep there all day. Crazy. |
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Guys guys guys...
Those vagrants are all just trying to get their GED's. Truly. None of them are just opting out of society and looking for handouts. |
| I think what people don't get is that most homeless aren't down on their luck. They are mentally ill or drug users. |
This is the liberal utopia I'm talking about. (OP here.) Why are you saying they have no place else to go? They go everywhere - to the Harris Teeter, to the Panera, sleeping in the RTC park - and of course they have the shelter available to them 24/7. (And I've been accosted at the Harris Teeter, and the employee told me they have problems with the homeless there, too.) But the library, where our young children and pre-teens gather, is where I put my foot down. The library should be OFF-LIMITS (unless they are using it for its intended purpose, which they are not). And as far as compassion, we as a society are housing them, feeding them, and counseling them. That is what we do as a compassionate society, rather than let them fend for themselves in the street. That doesn't mean they are entitled to go anywhere they want, causing disruptions and interfering with other people's enjoy of the public facilities their taxes support. And finally, it is less important for me to teach my pre-teen daughter to have respect for the poor, homeless person who is ogling her and whistling at her than it is for me to teach her to keep her distance, not make eye contact, and if he does initiate anything with her, to ignore him and move a safe distance away. When she gets older, I can talk to her about dignity. Right now, I'm concerned for her safety. |
No, we get that they are mentally ill and drug users. Does that somehow make them safer to be around our children? |
Yep. Just some mentally ill addicts, doing a little light reading on the presidency of James K Polk, or perhaps entomology. Don't see the big deal. |
I think we're arguing the same thing... |
| Is Reston is folks' view of a utopia, please don't show me your dystopia. Reston is a dump. |