Sept. 16th, 2010: Letter to the Mayor

This letter is written by a friend of mine, Rene Ronquillo, to Mayor Berry in Albuquerque. It highlights some of the issues that we in Albuquerque are facing. Feel free to comment. I know this is a hot button issue.


It could happen to anyone – all it takes is a small twist of fate.

A debilitating injury, an accident, a divorce, loss of a job…all of these could lead to homelessness.

The recent arrests of two men for feeding the homeless without a permit are terrible tragedies and a sad display of the priorities of our city and APD. Why would the honest giving of one person to another require a permit?

Poor and homeless people will always be a very real part of our society, and I know that if I ever became a person in need, I would be so grateful that someone cared enough to spend every Sunday afternoon for 4 years helping to make sure that my belly was full.

The police are claiming that feeding the homeless requires a permit and that that is why these men were arrested. Since when does kindness require a permit? Across all cultures worldwide, sharing a meal is one of the most basic examples of what makes a community.

APD and city officials are claiming that permits are required to protect the health of the homeless. But if the city were truly concerned about the health of the homeless, they would make public restrooms available. They would make public water fountains available. They would see that a man serving fresh fruit sure beats the health risks of dumpster-diving. In the 4 years that these volunteers have been serving the homeless, there has never been an incident of sickness. In fact, they do a public service by cleaning 4th Street after they serve and leaving it cleaner than it was when they arrived. I know this because I’ve seen it.

Let’s be real, Mayor Berry. These arrests were not about your concerns for the health of the homeless. They were about business and the bottom line – money! The easy (and callous) thing to do is to eliminate the sight of these homeless folks so that tourism and downtown business can thrive. Why else would Alfonso Hernandez, the man serving and caring for these people, be ordered to not come within 100 feet of 4th Street and be charged with criminal trespassing?? That’s not about a permit…that’s about keeping the homeless people away from downtown.

Stopping these volunteers from serving others is a violation of their constitutional and religious rights!

The hard thing to do…the Christian thing to do…the right thing to do is to try to educate the public and change the minds and hearts of those who avoid the downtown area because there are homeless folks down there. The homeless are not to be feared or shunned – they do not cause crime. I know because I’ve worked with them, and I know many of the folks who eat Alfonso’s meal every Sunday. I’ve seen more love and generosity from these people, who have nothing but the backpack on their backs, than from some people I meet in church or who have much to give and don’t.

Let’s invoke some commonsense. There are real criminals out there, after all – thieves, murderers, drug dealers, rapists…doesn’t Albuquerque’s finest (16 of them to be exact, who showed up on 4th Street this past Sunday the 12th) have better things to do and worry about than a man trying to serve his community by feeding the homeless and picking up garbage?

Homelessness can happen to ANYONE! How would you like to be treated if you were in their situation? What we need is more education, commonsense, solidarity, and compassion.