Homeless Shelter Edict Hypocritical

I find it the utmost in hypocrisy that the court will “allow” the Rev. Wiley Drake to shelter an unlimited number of homeless people for the holiday season but that he must resume limiting the number of people sheltered on Jan. 5 (“No Holiday Limit on Church’s Homeless,” Nov. 25).

Why is this nation so concerned for the homeless and needy for a certain 1 1/2 months of the year and forgetful, or even downright adverse, toward them the rest of the year? Is this gesture true concern for them or to assuage our own guilty consciences that we’ve done “something” for them?

The weather doesn’t stop being cold and rainy on Jan. 5; in fact, forecasters have been predicting that January and February will be colder and wetter than usual this year.

I think the city should allow the church to shelter an unlimited number of homeless persons all year long, or at least through all the winter. I am glad that the court, like so many people, has decided to be generous to the poor and homeless this Christmas season, but we all need to remember that the poor don’t stop having needs in January when we resume our busy lives.

KAREN THOMAS

Yorba Linda