Smart Case Proves Term "Homeless" Has No Meaning

 It is often said "he who defines the terms wins the argument." But sometimes the stakes are higher than victory in debate. The Smart family's hiring of a "homeless" man, who eventually abducted their daughter Elizabeth, proves the ignorance of the general public when it comes to the term "homeless," ignorance fueled by media political correctness.

 No doubt when Elizabeth Smart's mother gave Brian Davis Mitchell $5 and agreed to hire him for work on their property, she believed he was simply down on his luck and needed some temporary employment. But her vulnerability to such a hiring decision may have been influenced by society's perception of people like Mitchell, including print and television ads focusing on compassion and news stories featuring otherwise normal people having hit a bad patch in their lives.

 Unfortunately, liberal groups since the 1980's have foisted the term "homeless" on the rest of us to describe a group of people as diverse as alcoholics, drug addicts and dealers, child molesters, murderers and, oh yes, some who have just lost a place to live. To use the term "homeless" to define them is to plant in people's minds this falsehood: "the homeless are primarily made up of the dwelling-deprived. Otherwise they are just like you and me." As the Smart family found out, nothing could be further from the truth. Fortunately for them, the person they got was religiously deluded and not a murderer, so far as we know.

 I am not out to heap blame on the homeless. Most of them have enough to carry in this life. But it is vital that the public know the risks of welcoming them into their homes and lives. Truth in labeling would help. Getting rid of the term "homeless" would be a start.

 Similarly, the left has dubbed "gun owners" as a cohesive group as well. Thus the focus on gun laws. But gun owners are comprised of law enforcement, hunters, collectors, antique dealers, shop owners, gun range operators, military people and yes, criminals. Therefore, gun owners make up a cross-section of humanity. To use the term "gun owner" tells you almost nothing about the person.

 The term "homeless" should be retired from usage because it has served us poorly. The danger to trusting individuals like Mrs. Smart is that they will fail to properly assess the character of a man because he has been labeled "homeless." Admittedly, she could have been more careful. But politically correct labelling nearly cost their daughter her life. False terminology is not just a linguistic problem. (How about "international community?") It can cost people dearly. In this case, it almost did.

  John Pendleton