Homelessness: Address the root cause

Why are so many unfortunate people barely existing, day after day, under bridges, on city sidewalks, in the elements, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world?

Unlawful, and apparently almost impossible drugs to quit like heroin are readily available to our youth and homeless people at bargain prices.

Today, in the U.S.A. around 70% of cities with homeless people, tell us that drug addiction is the number one reason for their homeless problem. In order to feed their habit the addicted turn to stealing others possessions to buy their next fix

while the drug dealer tries to avoid being caught and seeks out new customers.

If apprehended the average jail-time for dealing drugs is five years; good behavior cuts it to two and a half years. The addict in most cases faces a lifetime of misery.

Thirty-two countries in the world today sentence drug dealers to capitol punishment for dealing drugs. Might an automatic death sentence for our drug dealers slow down the problem?

This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Homelessness: Address the root cause."