As a Chautauqua County native and resident and mental health advocate, I was beyond appalled to read the callous comments made by the Dunkirk City Council in the article on May 10 OBSERVER, “Destitute man vexes city officials.”

I must admit I had to read the article three times to convince myself that anyone, especially elected officials, would make these kinds of statements about a fellow human being, and in an open forum, no less.

Assumptions were made by Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak about the homeless man’s ability to live a normal life without the knowledge or background regarding why he is living on the streets. Councilman James Stoyle then decides that the best bet is to “transplant him to Jamestown.” Sure, take your problem and send it somewhere else, just like Southern politicians sent immigrants to Northern cities.

Councilwoman Nancy Nichols further comments that “we have to stop the locals from giving him clothing and food and drink and everything else.” Since I suspect at least some of these people are self-proclaimed Christians, they need to crack open the New Testament and see what Jesus would say or do.

I am the Founder and Chairman of Rural Minds, a national nonprofit organization based in Chautauqua County that advocates for improved mental health services for people in rural areas, such as Chautauqua County.

The vast majority of people living on the streets are living with some type of mental illness, including major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or substance use disorder. These are illnesses, many times genetically predisposed just like cancer, heart disease and diabetes. If a person living with another type of physical illness was living on the streets as a result of their disease, I would seriously doubt that Luczkowiak, Stoyle or Nichols would advocate for them to be treated so harshly or shipped off to another town or city.

Or maybe they would.

Dunkirk has many issues facing it, and after reading comments being made by the people running the city in this article, there is clearly a reason why.

Jeff Winton is founder and chairman, Rural Minds in Mayville.