Mailbag: Letter on homelessness overlooks Senior Center’s attributes

Re. “Huntington Beach needs to do more for the homeless,” (Jan. 6): According to letter writer Lynn Copeland, the new Senior Center in Huntington Beach Central Park is “pathetic” because the homeless are going hungry and have no place to sleep, and the Sports Complex should have been a homeless shelter for humans or homeless animals. The senior citizens of Huntington Beach have worked all their lives, raised families, paid taxes and volunteered in their communities. The Senior Center is a place for them to gather, enrich their lives and volunteer their time for the betterment of other less-fortunate seniors.

Is Ms. Copeland aware that the Senior Center is a staging area for Meals on Wheels delivery, senior transportation to health appointments, wellness care outreach and so much more for seniors that are home-bound? Is Ms. Copeland aware that seniors can partake of enrichment classes, such as art, exercise, music and crafts? Is Ms. Copeland aware that the Senior Center provides medical alert buttons to needy seniors?

This and so much more goes on there. I would love to take Ms. Copeland for a tour of the center, as I am a volunteer there. She would be amazed at all the good for our community that emanates from the center.

We, as community-minded citizens, are concerned for the homeless and shelter animals. But I would like to remind her that many of the homeless are in their situation because of poor decision-making. The mentally ill homeless are prevented by our state government from being committed for help. This by no means relieves us of our duty to care for our fellow human beings, but to conflate the building of the Senior Center with lack of care for the homeless or shelter animals is a ridiculous conclusion.

Martha Morrow

Huntington Beach

Professor can express views

When I read the letter from Juli Hayden (“Professor should keep political beliefs out of the classroom,” Jan. 7), I was reminded how privileged our nation is to enjoys one of our most important freedoms found in both our federal and state constitutions. The 1st Amendment says that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech. And the state constitution guarantees that “every person may speak, write and publish his or her sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of this right.” Without this valued right, citizens would be unable to freely engage in debates and exchanges of ideas. Also readers might look up “academic freedom” on Wikipedia.

Les H. Cohen

Seal Beach

College is a place to exchange ideas

I agree that the human sexuality professor at Orange Coast College should not have called Donald Trump a terrorist. We do not know if he is a terrorist, but we do know that he is a bigot, a misogynist, a liar and a nationalist. She could have discussed several of these topics as part of her purview. As for the students who got their teeny, tiny feelings hurt, college is where you should have your beliefs challenged and learn to defend your ideas. There’s no place safer. If they can’t handle it, they should take their AYSO trophies and go home.

Eva Segovia

Laguna Beach