Shocking News From Home

So, I miss home like whoa, pretty much all the time. I miss the neighbourhood I grew up in - I miss the streets I used to walk. Like Dunbar. But this is not how I like to be reminded of it. 

I'm really shocked that the cockroach simile is getting used in Dunbar to refer to human beings. All I can think of is Rwanda...I know this is hardly RTLM level, but any time that kind of dehumanising language is used in public discourse it's intensely frightening. 

The assumption that there are no homeless in Dunbar also seems to go unchallenged, even in the article - which is bizarre, since it's just clearly not true.

And worst of all, these people play some sort of representative role for people who, like me, grew up in this neighbourhood. And it makes me sick. 

So I wrote a little note: 

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am a long-time resident of the Dunbar area - although I am currently away at university, I grew up and spent twenty years of my life in and around Dunbar street. I love the neighbourhood.

Sadly, though, I was shocked and appalled to read this story: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/04/23/bc-dunbar-panhandlers-email.html 

I could not believe that the residents association for the area that I was privilege enough to grow up in would display such atrocious attitudes! The entire thrust of the statement was bad enough, but comparing the homeless to cockroaches really made my stomach churn. That's precisely the kind of dehumanising language used to justify and facilitate crimes against humanity. 

I'm sure that the resident's association didn't mean to use the same terms as the genocidaires in Rwanda, but you did support the criminalisation of poverty and homelessness. I am ashamed to see such lack of compassion, and such a NIMBY attitude in my neighbourhood. 

Rather than tying up police time and contributing to the problem, perhaps the resident's association could do something constructive for the problem? A public apology for the attitude, and especially the chosen language, would certainly be a good start. But beyond that, the resident's association should look into taking a collection for one of the many charities working to address homelessness. 

Last, I'd just like to say that contrary to public perception, there ARE homeless people who live in the community. While a number of organisations already do good work helping where they can, it would benefit us all if the residents association recognised that the homeless are our neighbours too - and not somebody else's problem to be moved along by the police.

I look forward to your response,

Teddy Harrison

They have a feedback form here if anyone else wants to add their voice.