Dan McSwain, a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune, wrote a piece which was published in today’s newspaper that I hope will be widely read. The piece which begins on the first page is the story about how citizen David Ross became concerned about and dedicated himself to helping the homeless in San Diego. It’s called “One Man’s Quest: Water for the homeless.”  It continues on page A15.  

The plight of the homeless includes many deprivations, but until today I hadn’t thought water was one of them. I’ve worried about the people who live on the streets in our city, but David Ross does more than worry. I live in my apartment with plenty of everything a person needs for a comfortable life.I was wrong to think that common things available to me, like water and bathrooms, are not easily available for everybody. Eighty-three year old David Ross has made a commitment to help the homeless.  I worry.

I take pictures. I go to church. I worry. I live in a country which is known around the world as a place where there is plenty of everything for everybody. There should be no one any place in this country where people don’t have enough good drinking water, and there should be no one any place in this country who can’t find a toilet when one is needed.  There should be no children in this country who don’t have a safe, secure place to live… to sleep. I will probably continue to take pictures and I will probably continue to go to church; but I plan to find something more than worrying which makes sense to do to help people who don’t have enough of the basic stuff for living.

I have been constantly complaining about the inadequacies of the President of my country, and his inadequacies worry me.  His picture alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the second page of the Los Angeles Times today is typically accompanied by one of his inane responses to a serious situation.  He is saying, “I have absolute confidence” China will try to put pressure on North Korea. He talks. I worry.

Neither his talking nor my worrying will change anything.  He will continue to talk as he did last week when he withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord. He will probably continue to decline to affirm NATO’s Article 5— the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s mutual-aid clause, which states that an attack on a member state is an attack on all. He is inadequate. If I continue to do nothing but worry, I will be inadequate; so I will find something to do to help the homeless in San Diego.  Already there is one man, David Ross, and there are others who have found sensible ways to respond to the needs of the homeless in San Diego.  This week I will find ways that I can help.  I will continue to worry, but I will find a way to do more. David Ross is two years older than I am, so......