Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Canada Humane? Abbotsford “craps” on homeless (literally)



Canada Humane?
Abbotsford “Craps” on homeless (literally)
 This is how the city of Abbotsford in British Columbia Canada treats the homeless
This happened on December 18th, 2013 one week before Christmas.

The city of Abbotsford has a bylaw that bans people from sleeping in public parks, and is now trying to apply for a court order to have anyone who violates that bylaw charged and arrested.
The battle between the city of Abbotsford and its homeless population has been raging on for months. The issue made headlines this summer when city workers dumped chicken manure at one homeless camp in an effort to drive out the residents.
Six homeless people have filed a human rights complaint against the Fraser Valley City of Abbotsford, alleging they faced discrimination when city officials sprayed chicken manure on one encampment and police officers slashed and pepper sprayed tents at another.

“These actions are targeted at people who are street homeless ... with the purpose of displacement to move them out of the city, or to move them along somewhere from whatever location they’re currently camped at without giving them any other options where to go,” she said in a phone interview on Tuesday.
“It also has a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities – and that includes physical and mental disabilities as well as addictions – who are grossly overrepresented in the population of the people who are street homeless in Abbotsford, as well as people who are aboriginal.”
 Too little too late.
Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman apologized in July after officials spread chicken manure over a homeless campsite near a Salvation Army.
Several people also filed lawsuits against the city, claiming compensation for damaged property after their tents and personal belongings were damaged by police at another homeless camp site.


Larkin said the city has done little to assist those who were subject to the chicken manure and tent-slashing incidents.
“Weak people, or those who don’t have the mental capacity to resist the oppression, tend to submit to more of the same, and those men remain at the chicken [manure] site,” he said. “Those men remain at the chicken [manure] site today as beaten, trodden, individuals. They are shells of human beings who are just treated so poorly.”

A group of about 20 people have been living in the city’s Jubilee Park for two months, but the City of Abbotsford issued a 48-hours’ notice Monday, ordering the camp to be dismantled by Wednesday because of safety concerns.
Homeless people living in one community in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley can rightfully argue their treatment by city officials actually stinks, according to CKNW.
The City of Abbotsford’s manager has apologized after workers recently spread chicken manure on a homeless camp.


Resident Ruth Schmolinkski, who added “the homeless people in the area have never caused a problem for the neighbourhood”.

Pastor Jesse Wegenast said the practice of using manure to drive away the homeless is obscene.
“The most marginalized, the most vulnerable citizens are getting kicked and not given the chance to recover and get back up,” he said.

Wegenast said there needs to be a strategy in place for the city to address the issue of homelessness in Abbotsford.
“It was a clear, concerted effort with one goal in mind and that is removal, eradication,” he said. “It requires forethought… and in light of this it’s incredibly appalling how the city decided to deal with this.”

My comments:
This is how we deal with the homeless in Canada; we just crap on them and treat them like crap too “Literally”.

We don’t care where we move them, so long as they are not close to our backyard.

It’s ludicrous when you think about it, Canada sends their army as part of a peaceful solution to Afghanistan, Iraq and wherever else, but we literally crap on our own residents (citizens).

Is it just me or is there something I’m missing here?

I could maybe understand (not to say that's it's okay) if this was a country in Africa or some cannibalistic country in the world that has no education, care or thought for humans, but this is Canada. We are supposed to be educated, intelligent and a caring society. 

Let me leave you with the definition of humane:

Characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, especially for the suffering or distressed: humane treatment of horses.

 And here are some synonyms too:

Merciful, kind, kindly, kind hearted, tender, compassionate, gentle, sympathetic; benevolent, charitable.

If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit, that we are kinder to animals than we are to people, think about it. We will cuddle, caress and spend thousands of dollars for our loving pets, but when it comes to humans, we treat them like crap.

Someone has to speak up for the poor.


By the way, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

Written by Chris Turner
December 24, 2013