The following Letter to the Editor was submitted for publication by Emma Greyton
No, I am no longer a resident of Amarillo. Thank God, because the next group will be the elderly.
I live in an assisted living facility and we share the newspaper and exchange articles of interest among our residents.Recently, I read an article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, about Amarillo. It was brought to my attention concerning homeless people of Amarillo and a man called Kip Billups. After reading the article, I watched the video of the City Council meeting. I had always been proud to say I lived in Amarillo for seventy-five years and the people were great.
Apparently, I was wrong.
I hung my head in shame. The article was the most disgraceful thing I have ever heard of about the homeless treatment and discrimination of the homeless in Amarillo for the Mayor and City Council to single out this group of people.
These are proud people who are down on their luck, most of them have a reason that was forced on them. Grandparents living on Social Security, taking care of grandchildren because their parents are in prison. Veterans fought for us so we could live like kings and queens. These people are having problems getting back into the normal world. But they are down, kick them. Some of the men could find work if they only had a pair of steel-toed shoes. But they can't afford a home and utilities.
T. Boone Pickens was right when he left Amarillo. In one of his farewell interviews, he said something like Amarillo will never amount to anything more than an asphalt parking lot.
I don't think it's asphalt. More like caliche.
I am sure the cemeteries of Amarillo think they have some kind of problem. No, it's only the deceased residents turning over in their graves.
Mayor Ginger Nelson has been reprimanded by State Representative Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington) for not allowing freedom of speech in her meeting. But nothing in any of the media concerning the homeless, nor her actions when she singled out a homeless advocate for clapping in a meeting. There were several other people clapping as well. Why weren't they arrested?
It is no wonder to me why the city attorney resigned.
