I was asked for an elaboration on what I found disturbing about the gate installed to keep the homeless from sleeping in the sheltered door alcove at the Abbotsford District Teachers Building (see A Dark disturbance in the force below).

Why do I believe this is only for anti-homeless purposes? There is another door at the opposite end of the building; one door is flush with the wall of the building, the other door recessed in a well sheltered alcove. The sheltered, alcove doorway was gated, while the unsheltered doorway was left unsecured.

Exclusion. Undesirable. Unworthy. Hopelessness.

Theses are some of the major messages that this gate sends to the Homeless. How would I know that? Partially experience at being on the outside of that type of gate; mainly that I took the time to ask them how they felt about the appearance of the gate.

They know that the gate is there to keep them out, as if they are undesirable vermin or life forms, in continuation of the deliberate efforts undertaken to drive them out of the downtown area over the past several years– as if there was someplace else for them to go.

Fence them out as they are not worthy of shelter, aid or caring. Negativity, cascading negative thinking that leads down into hopelessness. This is very destructive thinking – leading to a bleakness of outlook, self image and thought that is escaped through mind altering substances.

Wonderful – more barriers to reclaiming lives.

Paying to install the gate is more of the same old irrational behaviour that government and society engages in on so many issues, not just homelessness.

We will spend money to build structures to keep the homeless out of shelter, but not structures to give them shelter. It is easier to raise money, to get a superstar singer to help raise money, to shelter cute puppies and kittens than it is to raise funds to shelter the homeless.

We will take the easy way out, build a fence, rather than undertake the harder task of helping the homeless into recovery and reclaiming their lives. We would apparently rather continue spending an average of $55,000 per homeless person in fencing them out and leaving them on the streets; rather than undertaking the complex changes and efforts that would deliver the needed services in a targeted manner at a cost of $37,000 per person.

People seemingly prefer to pay the extra $18,000 per person in order to avoid facing the reality of addiction and what needs to be done; of having to change attitudes and see what is as opposed to what they want to believe; to suspend judgement and simply do what experience has demonstrated works.

The gate is about excluding, denial of reality, avoiding and hiding out of sight; about continuing wasteful, costly and irrational behaviours.

The rational, the smart response is not to build a gate but to get the homeless into recovery, reducing the numbers of homeless and removing the need for gates.

A dark disturbance in the Force; that may be as close as I can come to putting my feelings upon seeing the addition of the locked gate to the doorway alcove at the Abbotsford District Teachers Association building.

The way the building was built had resulted in a sheltered alcove protecting the door that leads into the teamster’s area of the building. Over the years it has served as home to several of the homeless I know, being handed on from occupant to occupant because it was a prime location if you are homeless.

With the Paliotti’s just across the road the evenings often brought the generous gift of a good meal from patrons of the restaurant, sometimes even cigarettes or cash.

The alcove provided superior shelter from wind and the elements. Still the best point of this location was that, because the police had not received a complaint from the owners, homeless tenants could sleep through the night without being disturbed – removing themselves when the building opened.

Knowing the history and the people who had used this alcove over the course of several years, the appearance of a locked gate whose only purpose was to deny access to any homeless seeking shelter from the elements was very disturbing; a dark disturbance in the Force.

Yes the owners have the legal right to put up the gate, as the East German government claimed a legal right to build the Berlin Wall. Yet in that action, and in the context of the history of the alcove and homelessness, there lies a deep symbolism whose message is of a bleak exclusion and uncaring.

Provincial politicians speak of their plans and of “knowing” what is happening, while on the streets more people find themselves seeking food and shelter. Our local politicians form committees and say all the right things – but have not provided a single shelter space for any homeless person, nor a single meal for the hungry. The community pats itself on the back for being so generous and boasts of the number of places of worship, while hunger and need grow.

The letter pages of the local are full of letters from local Christians complaining about magazines at checkout stands, about Darwin, about the lack of moral behaviour, about…, about…, about… … but about the need to follow the example of Christ and love thy neighbour, minister to and help the homeless or the hungry?

I look at that gate and wonder if, as happens at other places of loss and accident, I should leave flowers to mark this diminishing.

The dark forbidding clang of that gate as it closes resounds through our community, province and across Canada.

Is it the sound of the alarm calling us to arms and action against poverty; or is it a Bell tolling out a lament for our souls?

Stop, look at the gate, light a candle and meditate on what kind of world you want to create.