Upon hearing the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory, that serving Cheerios in the early morning even once a week results in the homeless and addicted flocking to that location and staying there, I was rather sceptical. Well truthfully, after seeing that Abbotsford city councillors Smith, Beck and Harris were serious, I was dumbfounded. I mean, HUH?

Just in case my reaction was influenced by having Councillor John Smith repeat almost verbatim the same excuse he has been using for the last two and a half years to absolve the city of any responsibility for acting on homelessness and rationalize their lack of leadership, I felt I needed to get feedback on the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory.

Unlike councillors Smith, Beck, Harris and far to many other people, when I have a question an matters of homeless, addiction, mental illness or poverty I approach those with knowledge and experience.

In this particular case I took advantage of a dinner for the homeless and hungry to seek the opinions and input of those who were homeless, addicted or in recovery from addiction in evaluating the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory.

Here is a representative sampling of their comments when asked to evaluate the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory and the claims that it is this serving of Cheerios that is drawing people to Jubilee Park and that if only the serving of Cheerios was stopped the problems in Jubilee Park would end as well.

“What drugs are they on?”; “Horses**t!!”; “Ya Right!”; “that’s funny!”; “are they nuts?”; laughter was a frequent response; it was repeatedly necessary for me to give assurances that, no I was not kidding – city councillors were serious in promoting the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory; a long time volunteer as a home owner and a taxpayer inquired as to whether it was possible to “get our money back”, a refund of salaries paid the councillors; numerous interviewees were left speechless by the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory; and finally many just sadly shook their heads.

The one person I was able to find who had left Jubilee Park to get food at the supper when asked about the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory nearly fell out of his seat laughing.

The fact that only one person had left Jubilee Park to get fed BBQ hamburgers, a walk of only 2 or 3 minutes, would seem to cast serious doubt on the councillors theory and claims that homeless and/or addicts are leaving downtown Vancouver to flock to Jubilee Park for Thursday morning Cheerios when they will not walk a few minutes for a meal of BBQ hamburgers.

Unless of course the homeless person hit the nail on the head with his statement: “those must be some powerful special Cheerios”.

Not wanting to disappoint Councillor Beck’s expressed expectation of reading reaction to statements he made at Wednesday May 7’s City Hall “browbeat the Pastor” meeting, this one’s for you Bruce.

In advancing the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory Councillor Beck demonstrated he shared his fellow councillor’s lack of even the most basic knowledge and understanding of the realities of homelessness and addiction.

He also clearly shared his council colleagues’ lack of understanding of the purpose of applying a bandage and the desire to spare Bob Bos and the Downtown Business Association the problems of the homeless on the streets of Abbotsford by once again moving the homeless to other neighbourhoods.

Councillor Beck’s statement that closing down the Food Bank for three days to renovate was the same as the Pastor complying with their demand to never feed again feed the hungry in Jubilee Park, clearly demonstrates: a) his need to sit down and spend some time watching Sesame Street in order to get an understanding of similar things and things that are not similar and b) the continuing need for dictionaries at city hall in order that they can look up and (hopefully) gain an understanding of concepts such as “three” and “never”; even the homeless know that never is a lot longer than 3 days.

Councillor Beck proceeded to speak of spending $10’s of millions of dollars to relocate the city’s seniors group. Now my first reaction was that he was being facetious in that statement, but reflecting on his his spendthrift ways as a councillor of squandering taxpayer’s money ….

What the statement clearly demonstrated was that for covering up, avoiding or mishandling the social problems of homelessness, addiction, mental illness and poverty councillors and the city can find time and money. It is only when it comes to dealing with these social problems that neither time nor resources can be found, and we get the same old “not our responsibility, we have not the wherewithal” speech.

Addressing the social problems on the streets of Abbotsford is not about ridiculous theories, harassing Pastors or chasing the problems from a favoured neighbourhood to a neighbourhood obviously less favoured by council, it is about vision, leadership and responsible, thoughtful action.

…and caring heart who dares to feed any hungry person in Jubilee Park as a Pastor and members of his congregation learned.

The Pastor was ordered to City Hall, in the manner of a naughty child to the principal’s office, when the usual Abbotsford Police tactics of physical intimidation, verbal harassment, placing visitors to Jubilee Park under surveillance and following people to their homes failed to stop the Pastor and his congregation sharing Cheerios with the hungry and destitute in Jubilee Park early Thursday mornings.

Councillors Smith, Beck and Harris, a plethora of city staff and several witnesses for the persecution were on hand to bully the good Pastor into obedience. The attempt to overwhelm was denied the city when members of the Pastor’s congregation, members of Christian leadership and several individuals experienced and knowledgeable on addiction and homelessness attended in support of the Pastor and his good works.

The councillors expanded their attempt to browbeat the Pastor into unthinking obedience to include demands that ANY church, church groups or group of churches get approval from city hall before taking any action. They proceeded to demand obedience to council dictates, even where the people involved felt that the council dictates were against their spiritual beliefs and the teachings of their faith.

This attempt to place council’s temporal dictates above matters of faith, spirituality and the teachings of Christ failed to impress the audience.

When the city failed to offer anything rational¹ to support their orders, the Pastor declined to comply with the city’s dictatorial demands. Leaving the matter unresolved and the Pastor and public waiting on which police state tactic the City will attempt to force obedience with next.

Footnote:

¹ The Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory on the causality homelessness and addiction was unveiled before the public for the first time at Abbotsford City Hall on Wednesday May 7.

According to the theory espoused by Abbotsford City councillors John Smith, Bruce Beck and Lynne Harris, endorsed by Abbotsford Downtown Business Association president Bob Bos, the social problems that have spilled into the city’s Jubilee Park are being worsened by a Church that serves Cheerios early Thursday mornings in the Park.

A further tenant of the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerio Theory, associating the serving of Cheerios with the presence of persons suffering homelessness and addiction in Jubilee Park, is that if the church Pastor and congregation members would cease serving Cheerios the Park would no longer be a “sick park” as they termed it.

One of the persecution witnesses presented by the city, when asked for clarification, stated that the swelling population in the park are homeless and addicts from Vancouver.

With Cheerios never having been one of my breakfast cereal choices I had no idea the allure of Cheerios was so powerful that hearing a church was serving Cheerios Thursday mornings in Jubilee Park in Abbotsford would have the homeless and addicted leaving all the resources to be found in Vancouver to Abbotsford’s Jubilee Park.

Under the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory should city council not be solving Abbotsford’s homeless and addiction social problems by leading a campaign to remove Cheerios from store shelves and making Abbotsford a “Cheerios Free Zone”?

Parents be warned: do not supply your children with Cheerios. Next thing you know it will be Fruit Loops the – gasp – Lucky Charms!