Dan Rodricks’ tribute to the late Father Richard T. Lawrence (”Father Richard Lawrence: The Baltimore priest who vowed to go to jail to defend the right of the homeless to a night’s sleep,” Dec. 1) was heartfelt, accurate and meaningful.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, before I entered the academic world, I worked with Dick Lawrence in a coalition of Catholics, Jews and Protestants on social welfare issues, attempting to increase assistance to the poor. Dick then was a fiery redhead (both hair and beard) and was one of the most empathetic (perhaps a term overused these days) and compassionate people I have ever encountered.
We need so many more like him, at the state and local level, but especially in the federal government. Perhaps, we will move in that direction under the next presidential administration.
Jack Fruchtman, Towson
The writer is a professor emeritus in political science at Towson University.
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