Editorial: Franciscan has been a role model

Friday, Nov. 21, 2003 | 5:27 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION Nov. 22 - 23, 2003

A familiar scene unfolded one evening last week on Wilson Street in Las Vegas. A man wearing the brown robe of the Franciscan friars huddled with several homeless men and women, sharing the shivers they get this time of year and the hunger they feel all year. Brother David Buer earlier in the day had begun a weeklong "spiritual fast" to coincide with this street vigil, which was intended to raise public awareness about homeless issues. And he had also earlier in the day spoken before the Clark County Commission, reminding its members of the shortage of emergency shelter beds and asking for its intercession so people wouldn't have to suffer. The vigil, the fast, the futile plea before commissioners -- a fairly typical day in the life of Brother David.

A little after 8 the next morning, unfortunately, another familiar scene unfolded, another scene all too typical of Buer's life in Southern Nevada as an advocate for the homeless. At least four Metro Police cars and eight officers showed up. They told those gathered that they were trespassing and ordered them to move on. Buer tried to negotiate but the police had their orders -- move them out. The order followed a pattern that has defined homeless policy in Las Vegas for the past several years: Anywhere they gather in numbers, send in the police and sweep them away.

Well, they won't have Brother David to kick around much longer. After six years of being a peaceful but strong and omnipresent voice for Southern Nevada's growing homeless population, his Franciscan order is transferring him to an Apache reservation in Arizona. He will leave behind a tangible legacy -- the Poverello Houses in Las Vegas and Henderson that he helped start as nonprofit organizations. During the daytime, homeless people can rest, eat and shower at the homes.

We hope the intangible legacy of Brother David remains as well. This is the image of him as an unselfish, unceasing advocate for people who need public help. Public officials are asked all the time for a little more money to provide extra shelter space in the wintertime. But winters come and go and there's never enough room, forcing hundreds of people to risk their lives out on the streets somewhere. We hope the image of Brother David, standing amid homeless people out on the streets, shivering, shunning food, praying for an end to privation, is the last image in the minds of public officials before they vote on help for the homeless in the future.