Editorial by Kernel staff. E-mail [email protected].

The tents are packed, the visitors have returned to their respective countries and Lexington is back to “normal.” Go to Phoenix Park, and the regulars are sleeping on their respective benches.

Like many hosts to international events such as the Olympics or World Cup, Lexington pushed the homeless population to the periphery, so the international visitors would not be offended by an unfortunate truth.

The city government filed a “state of emergency,” so they could side-step codes and regulations typically required to set up a certified homeless shelter. As a result, two temporary shelters were open during the 17-day spectacle.

Now the shelters are gone, and a real “emergency” is about to ensue: winter.

Last night, some of Lexington’s homeless shared their stories in Memorial Hall’s showing of “Please Don’t Call Me Homeless… I Don’t Call You Homed.”

Regardless of whether or not you attended, this event should be a wake-up call for the community. Homelessness speaks poorly of the city yes, but a homeless person is a person nonetheless. They should be respected, regardless of class, and not swept under the rug.