I am writing in response to the recent article concerning the homeless individual residing on the benches near City Hall in Dunkirk (May 10-11).

I was deeply disheartened by the tone and content of the remarks made by several of our city officials, which reflected a disturbing lack of compassion, professionalism, and understanding of the complex issue of homelessness.

Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak’s assertion that “the only one that can save him is himself” blatantly ignores the well-documented relationship between homelessness and mental health. Being “young, healthy, and Caucasian” does not preclude someone from experiencing trauma, mental illness, or systemic barriers that prevent access to stable housing and support.

Reducing this person’s suffering to a matter of personal failure not only lacks empathy but also fails to represent the values we should expect from public servants.

Equating a human being to a deer, as Councilman James Stoyle did when he joked about laws preventing people from “feeding” him, is both dehumanizing and inappropriate.

This individual is not wildlife to be managed; he is a person with inherent dignity and rights. Homelessness is not a nuisance to be “transplanted” to another city, as suggested by sending him to Jamestown, but a crisis that calls for community-wide collaboration, services, and long-term solutions.

Further, comments discouraging residents from offering clothing or food show a disconnection from our county’s spirit. The suggestion that kindness should be criminalized is deeply troubling.

I call on our city leaders to remember their duty to serve all, including those who are unhoused.

Let us replace shame and exclusion with compassion and action.

If Dunkirk truly wants to be a community that uplifts its most vulnerable, then we must do better, starting with the words we use and the policies we pursue.

Shannon D. Fisk, social worker, is an advocate for Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder & Homelessness.