Robert Kirby’s “My run-ins with the homeless” article is a dangerously oversimplified snapshot of homelessness as an inconvenience.
In a time when societal divisiveness is at an extreme, I am disappointed in Robert Kirby and The Tribune for creating a platform where privileged individuals whine about issues surrounding their own entitlement.
Addressing the homelessness issue in Salt Lake City is an important one and, as Kirby points out, a complicated one. However, the lack of understanding Kirby expresses as he saunters through a part of our public city and shared spaces is alarming.
At large, issues that Kirby mentions having come into contact with in his article — such as violence, drug use and untreated mental illness — are systemic for a large population in our collective city. Instead of perceiving reality in this way, Kirby focuses on how those weighty issues affect him, someone who has the resources, funds, support and health to lead a very different life.
At the beginning of his article, Kirby states that his response to being asked for money was a “fair exchange” that escalated into a drawn-out and aggressive encounter, implying it was the young man’s sense of entitlement when asking for money that caused the problem. Considering the above, Kirby and that youth were not on equal footing to have a “fair exchange.”
Robert Kirby, before writing about how homelessness tests your personal comfort level on your walk to work, you may avoid trouble in the future by checking your own privilege first.
Annie Montague
Salt Lake City