05 Nov Vancouver BC
A stunning city. Absolutely beautiful. The bridges, the open areas, the art and the folks who live there. Nice.
I was stunned by how wonderful the humans are who dwell there. I truly enjoyed it.
What I wasn’t prepared for was homelessness.
As an American I imagine Canada as a country that has all of this figured out. It seems the drug problem, since they are a port city, has infested their town. It is a major issue.
We walked about 7 blocks. My red heels clacking along. I lost count at 23….23 people asking for money. They have the services for them and it isn’t working. They are extremely aggressive, actually touching me as they asked.
I am sad to say it caused me a sick sense of relief. That it wasn’t just that San Francisco couldn’t figure it out. I am ashamed by that reaction.
A woman who works in social services told me their biggest problem. The children. 2300 kids in the city being born drug addicted. It seems the moms give their babies drugs so they don’t cry. It takes months to take the babies away from the mothers. Months to get them off drugs. (them being the babies)
No one wants to adopt a drug addicted baby. There is a lot of fear about what that child will be like at 13.
She tells me of a program where one day they open a few stores so the homeless can come in and “Shop” for winter clothes. It is a good idea since it snows there.
I can’t listen anymore. I am a liberal. I lean left. I know. Some of my friends like me anyway. I am so angry about any human who would drug a baby. I want these women to go to jail. To pay for it.  I actually sat there and could not find one ounce of compassion for a person who forever harmed the life of a baby.
Are these child abusers being prosectued for their crime?
A person at the table said, drug addiction is an illness.
I heard a sound. It was very loud and deafening. Everyone pretended not to hear it. It was my soul moving one centimeter to the right.
I do not care ‘why’ a person harms a child. They did. If you don’t want to put them in jail, put them in mandatory rehab for two years.  Then make them get a job and support the child financially.
I am scaring myself right now. Ugh.
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