Homeless, Provincial

… just does not get it!

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Clearly, crystal clearly, Gordon Campbell just does not get it.

Watching the news on June 12th led to the inescapable conclusion that, blinded by his ideological blinders, Gordon Campbell just does not get it on homelessness and other important social issues. At least I certainly hope his actions stem from not getting it.

The good news is what having its wood going to China to help build homes for those left homeless by the earthquake could do for the forest industry. The really bad news was: there was Gordon Campbell leading the efforts to supply wood and workers to build housing for the homeless in China, while his government for the most part ignores the thousands homeless in BC.

Apparently if you are homeless in BC and you want to be housed by your provincial government you need to head to China and Sichuan province.

Gordon Campbell leaped into action to provide housing for thousands of homeless – in China. At the same time his Liberal government has its head stuck in the sand on homelessness and other pressing social issues in BC.

Could it be the use of the word province, as in Sichuan province, has left Premier Campbell beffuddled and confused?

Or is it the Gordon Campbell’s ideological blinders leave him unwilling or unable to perceive the earthquake of social issues facing BC, with the result he just does not get it?

Consider

Tombstones at Abbotsford’s Mill Lake.

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Here is something a little eerie to think about.

A friend, a homeless friend, mentioned he had been to Mill Lake but it was getting to depressing to go there and see all the tombstones, especially those for children.

Haven’t seen any tombstones at Mill Lake? Or just haven’t noted them as tombstones.

They are hard to miss being spread around the lake and rather large, large enough to sit on. Yes the benches with their memorial plaques.

Is not a tombstone a memorial, usually but not always of stone, with an inscription noting the passing of someone?

A little something to ponder as you stroll around Mill Lake, past the tombstones.

It certainly caused me a discombobulating moment and a little pondering. The next time I find myself at Mill Lake watching the waterfowl I just may find myself sitting on the stone wall instead of the adjacent benches/tombstones.

I did say it was a little eerie.

Consider

R.I.P.

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bureaucrat Hope slays
knowledge news Wellness unshared
Light illumes no more

The Advisor was the regional mental health and addictions advisory committee’s 12 page newsletter published and edited by a consumer for consumer and family education and empowerment.

June’s issue touched on Father’s Day, listening, had 2 pages devoted to relapse prevention, coping strategies, suicide, things to think about, ask a pharmacist, happenings around the region and listings of the services and support available in the communities of the region.

I hand it out as part of the support discussion at Wellness Recovery Action Plan groups; others ask about it if delivery is late; it was distributed around our communities so that those who needed it could find it and all copies were long gone before the next month’s publication was out.

It was a valuable resource and tool that provided, due to the hard work and volunteer efforts of the editor, benefits far outweighing the amazingly cheap $3,000 yearly cost for production of a monthly newsletter.

It died an ignoble death at the hands of a faceless, carelessly thoughtless bureaucrat who, with the stroke of a pen and a no, snuffed out the Light that was the Advisor.

We could well lose the bureaucrat unnoticed

The Advisor is a painful loss that will be missed.