Marista’s Coffee has closed its doors. Marista’s owner said safety was their No. 1 concern and it’s not safe anymore. A homeless man shouted obscenities at Marista’s baristas. “The homeless have gotten horrible,” she said.

Behavior like this drove Marista’s out of business. As much as they would like otherwise, it’s no longer their problem, it’s ours.

Experience tells us we can’t drive homelessness out of town. Our only choice is to deal with people who are homeless and their problems. Could we, the wealthiest country in the world, house our brothers and sisters? I believe we can.

Our first step is to house the homeless.

Pat Montgomery

Federal Way