Another View on Homelessness
In the August/September 2013 issue of the Bulletin, you published a letter from a Salem attorney, Peter M. Appleton (“Regarding ‘The Changing Face of Homelessness’ ”) regarding his views of homeless people. In that letter he displays an apparent lack of knowledge of homeless people. I assume that he has never represented any; I have had the pleasure of representing many of them over the past dozen years.
Most of my homeless clients were homeless because of economic factors including the loss of jobs or crippling medical bills. Things beyond their control have caused them to slip into homelessness, and once there, they find it extraordinarily difficult to get out of that situation. My clients were not homeless because they chose to be, contrary to Mr. Appleton’s uninformed opinion.
Other clients suffered from mental illnesses or intellectual deficits. Mr. Appleton also does not believe that mental illness is an excuse for being homeless and that if people are mentally ill, they should be hospitalized. I guess that he has never read the statutes governing involuntary commitment or he would know how stringent that statute is. Moreover, even if such commitment standard were met, there are simply not enough resources in which to house and treat such people.
Spencer M. Neal, Portland
A Flood of Memories
I’m retired now, but I thoroughly enjoyed your article in the October 2013 Bulletin on the Court of Appeals (“The Baker’s Dozen”). Did it ever bring back a flood of memories of nearly 40 years of experience appearing before that court! Also enjoyable were the pictures that accompanied your article.
The quote from Chief Judge Herbert Schwab about telling George Joseph that George had a good chance to get on the court if he could “just keep his damned mouth shut for three months” was not surprising to read for those who knew and appreciated George so much.
Just when I was getting quite comfortable being retired from the practice of law, your well-written article almost made me want to again appear before some of those judges mentioned in the article — except I’ll pass on “brusque” Chief Judge Schwab turning his back to me during oral argument when he had heard enough!
Frank Hunsaker, Portland
We Love Letters
The Bulletin welcomes letters. In general, letters should pertain to recent articles, columns or other letters and should be limited to 250 words. Other things to keep in mind:
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Send letters to: Editor, OSB Bulletin, P.O. Box 231935, Tigard, OR 97281.