Trina, yes, you said more clearly what I was trying to say: We do all have a right to our opinions. And I'm thankful for that—that's what makes the debate interesting. Now if we can all work harder to make the debate informed and constructive!

Heather, thanks for the Amen, and for the great series of articles in Smile Politely. You're doing a lot to share important information about the issue. 

Genevieve, I love that you're so willing to dig into the information like this, and even read all the links! One word in particular stuck out in your comment. It's in this sentence: "I sympathize with some of the residents’ complaints." The word is "sympathize." It's connected to "compassion," which I think is the key element missing in so many debates like this. As you suggest, it's not just the homeless who need to be heard and shown compassion. Everyone affected by these less-than-ideal situations need to know others hear and sympathize with them. Regarding Jesse, perhaps I will see how he feels about me interviewing him and writing a post about his choices.

Susan, yeah, I know. I've avoided traditional forms of local news, for the most part, since moving here eight years ago. By removing myself from it, sometimes I become delusional about the concept of a small news organization being able to simply share information. But alas, there's always an agenda. I realize there's a place for news with a clear slant (I listen to NPR, after all!). I just don't think a small city's paper should lean so blatantly in one direction.

Dave, that's a good run-down of where things stand. I'm sure there are more legal and political issues than I can even begin to comprehend, but that's the gist of it. And your point about the many interesting stories waiting to be told, and how they would help everyone understand the bigger picture, is a really good one. I have two main concerns here: One is that people take the issue of homelessness seriously and compassionately, and the other is that the story is told from more perspectives, in more depth—by traditional media and alternative. Are you suggesting that some high school or college students interview and write the stories? That's a great idea. I'm friends with one of the English teachers at the University High School here. They do a lot in the community—I'll have to see what she thinks.