I can say that I’m truly disgusted toward the author of the opinion piece, “I.V. Bums: Leave Me Alone!” (Daily Nexus, Nov. 25).
Firstly, to give someone a derogatory title like “bum” implies they aren’t even a real person. It’s no different than a racial slur. I also live by Keg N’ Bottle, and I purposely go through Anisq’ Oyo’ to run into some of the people in the park. There are so many homeless who are genuinely nice people. To assume everyone who’s homeless is crazy is just ignorant.
While the infamous Pirate is someone who might be too much for some, there are dozens of others who are really easy to make friends with. Having just transferred to UCSB, I may not have had to be around the homeless population for as long as others. However, if I’d been here for three months or three years, I can guarantee it would not bother me the way it has for Caitlin Jarrett.
Far too often, I am awakened by loud, obnoxious college students who think it’s a good idea to have a party at 2 a.m. on a Sunday or start a rousing game of beer pong at 10 a.m. That’s much more annoying than someone talking outside my window.
Saying we should relocate the homeless to a different park so you can walk easier to Silvergreens is incredibly selfish. Some of the homeless have lived in Isla Vista twice as long as you’ve been a student.
Whoever thinks that the homeless people are all crazy and annoying should pull the stick out of their ass and get a sense of humor. If you’re going to be so serious as to be bothered by a homeless person talking to you, maybe you’re the one that should relocate out of I.V.
don’t worry they’ll kick out all the homeless people when they build the gap on pardall road
Will be a homeless apologist for food
As the “ignorant” author of the opinion article you are referring I’d like to respond to your (mostly inaccurate) claims. To begin with, you say that the word “bum” is a derogatory term comparable to a racial slur. Have you even looked the word up in the dictionary? Each of the dictionaries I referred to state that the word “bum” simply means “a tramp or a vagrant.” I fail to see the offensiveness of this term. You also imply that I said all homeless people are crazy. I never used the word “crazy” once in my article. Even if I… Read more »
After reading Dana LaVertu’s letter to the editor printed on Monday, I am disgusted that someone so ignorant would write a response to an opinion piece. First of all, articles found in this section of the paper are opinions, as is clearly marked by the heading at the top of the page. If someone feels that the homeless people on the street are obnoxious, they have the right to do so. If you want to make friends with the bums of Isla Vista you are more than welcome to, but the rest of us have the right to keep them… Read more »