Well as far as Project 851 we have come a long way and the dust has settled to the point we can reflect and reap the fruit of all labour. Sadly it is also a time where people have not been able to develop effective systems of understanding one another and that is such a shame.
Today we’re a little shame on things — shame on all levels of gov’t that aren’t working together, shame on those behaving violently to anyone or anything, shame on those who feel entitled to take from others and shame on those who are not thinking of more than themselves. This week a group of people occupied our local park and daily the situation gets worse. Here are a few things you haven’t read in the press — assaults, over doses and tree punching (yes tree punching). The residents of the neighbourhood, who are not activists, seem genuinely concerned about their community members being able to access the park. Interestingly, the media coverage hasn’t highlighted any of these issues.
I can’t imagine any person who doesn’t sympathize with the homeless but occupying a community park? When has that ever lead to a healthy solution? Perhaps Strathcona will be a first. Letters will be flying in this week no doubt as the Parks Board is failing in their responsibility to the stewardship of parks and the city may well be scrambling behind the scenes to correct a provincial and federal gov’t debacle. Where are those elected representatives and what are they thinking? How is this safe for anyone.
The solution, as I’ve said many times, is easy. Get your arses out of those chairs and start dancing with passion to make things work; provide safe places for people with mental health issues, give them drugs/medication (whatever you want to label it), feed them and provide medical care. Other countries like Holland, Portugal to name two have made it happen so what’s wrong with us? Are we really a society that prefers to put our tax paying citizens at risk and deprive their children and seniors of open space, especially during times of a pandemic? Crazy right?
How much do we spend on all the “services” to deal with the ineffective fall out? I heard more than one million dollars was spent on one case alone for one year; that was for a woman who was constantly in and out of the system over dosing and not recovering or getting rehab. Yes, true dat. We know solutions are out there and doable so come on let’s do, do, do. Let’s demand that all levels of gov’t dance in the same room and swing each other around until the effective plan is in place and all steps to achieve it. No rest until the dance is done — a true dance-a-thon.
Dancing takes leadership, style, connecting and balance.