Now that we are in the middle of our "war on terrorism," it is interesting to note how successful we have been at America's other wars. The war on poverty started in the 1950s. Chicago's homeless shelters are at capacity, and they are now turning people away. These are family shelters with young children that are homeless in our own community.

Yet, our government gave the Taliban $113 million last year not to grow poppy plants to stop opium production. The Taliban: our partners in the war on drugs. More than $500 million has been raised for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. These are people who had high-salary jobs, life insurance and death benefits for spouses and children. We have more than 5,000 homeless children in this country with no source of income or medical coverage. Don't they deserve some help from fellow Americans?

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