Dear Editor:

Last year when what is still known as “LD 2003” was enacted as an emergency, there was a looming immediate emergency that this bill did not address. That was the families composed of 1000 asylum seekers who were staying in hotels subsidized by the federal government and those subsidies were set to expire in January. Somebody must have seen that throwing families on to the street in the dead of winter is a bad visual, so now those subsidies are expiring on June 30.

Despite those among us who will inevitably portray those in unfortunate circumstances as lazy good for nothing drug addicts, deserving no human consideration, asylum seekers are political refugees who have fled tyrannical governments, or other dangerous situations. Their situations are difficult already. It is painful to see some in this community adding on to their misfortunes by maligning their character.

An article in the Maine Monitor titled “Compassion, creativity needed in housing crisis” asks if communities can come up with any available empty spaces that can serve as temporary shelter for these families. New York City will be using public school facilities to house its asylum seekers.

It would be uplifting if our state resolves this crisis through community efforts and if the Boothbay Peninsula, which has received its fair share of government subsidies, is a part of it.

So please think about the availability of unused spaces that can serve as shelters for these families. You never know what a political refugee may have to give back. It takes a lot of human strength and courage just to get here from wherever they escaped.

Susan Mackenzie Andersen

Boothbay