Premier David Eby’s “white hot anger” that alleged multi-victim stabber Blair Evan Donnelly was on a “Day Pass” from BC’s insane asylum should be directed at his own BC NDP government.
After all, the British Columbia (Psychiatric) Review Board, appointed by the NDP government, was in charge when Donnelly was granted unescorted leave!
It’s not politicians like Eby who should be loudly proclaiming their “anger”: it’s us … the people … who have increasingly become victims of extreme “progressive” governments, excessive “progressive” policies and their ideologically-programmed “progressive” appointees/bureaucrats who implement them.
Donnelly was allowed his unescorted day pass from the psychiatric hospital even though, in addition to murdering his own daughter in 2006 (which led to his commitment), he also stabbed another person in 2009 after being released on a day pass from the facility, and then, in 2017 used a butter knife to attack another patient in the hospital.
And just five months before the latest incident, Donnelly was still described at a hearing as a “significant threat” with a “high risk of relapsing” .
You can read that full story here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/chinatown-stabbing-suspect-described-as-significant-threat-high-risk-of-relapsing-1.6966671.
Yet, there he was on the streets of Chinatown, on yet another unescorted day pass … and now accused of stabbing three more innocent bystanders attending a festival.
Very few voters/taxpayers could probably name a single member of the BCRB, but I’d bet many British Columbians suspect, despite their expert professional credentials on paper, they very likely, as NDP appointees, could probably be viewed as “progressives”.
The real question Eby’s inquiries should answer … but won’t … is whether BCRB overboard “progressive” views and ideological agenda placed the killer’s individual pleadings ahead of their duty to protect the public?
If so, it’s just another example of how too many extreme “progressives”, given any powers, go too far … maybe too fast … and our society is suffering as a result.
We’re not talking here about ALL those with progressive ideas/thoughts.
I have long regarded myself as “progressive” when it comes to social policies: supporting racial, ethnic, religious equality; gay and transgender rights; women’s right to choose; welcoming true refugees, and exercising compassion through laws and policies to take care of those who cannot work.
However, over the past 10 years, we’ve witnessed a whole new breed of EXTREME “progressives”: ideologically programmed/driven politicians implementing agendas that go too far too fast … oblivious to the damage they cause to so many in society in the process.
They also appoint judges, at all judicial levels, who hand down and push “progressive” decisions, based on new “progressive” laws … that fail to keep even violent recidivist criminals in jail!
And there is mounting evidence now of not only how much this has all harmed our society … but how silly and even stupid so much of it has become.
Don’t even try to light up a cigarette, blunt or a tobacco pipe on any beach or in any Vancouver park, but it’s okay in most to shoot up heroin, crack, MDMA … even fentanyl.
How “progressive”!
In fact, it was only after enough Vancouver residents became sufficiently outraged and demand ed safety for their kids, that our “progressive” City Hall, “progressive” NDP provincial government and “progressive” Liberal federal government finally acted: it’s now illegal in Vancouver to shoot up “within 15 metres of any play structure in a playground, a spray or wading pool or a skate park”.
Other cities made it illegal to use drugs in ANY public space …but in good, old “progressive” Vancouver, just stay 15 metres away from kids playing … and you can inject yourself anywhere you want!
And even that is a farce!
Will “progressive” City staff or police hand out tape measures to addicts? Does anyone really believe police will actually do the paperwork to lay charges based on “distance” infractions … or that Crown Counsel would actually take/prosecute those cases in Court?
And that’s just part of the harm the excessive progressives have inflicted on society in recent years.
Remember the suffering (filth, thefts, needles, weapons, violent crimes, fires and turmoil) Strathcona residents endured for TWO YEARS because Vancouver’s “progressive” Parks Board, “progressive” City Hall and “progressive” City Police did nothing to clear the squatters out of what was supposed to be a neighbourhood park.
And that was on top of the other encampments, also allowed by our “progressive” Parks Board and “progressive” City Hall to establish themselves at Oppenheimer Park and Crab Park.
So why were the “progressive” powers in charge then be surprised when a burgeoning residential community and drug supermarket also sprang up on the sidewalks of Hastings Street, where crime, assaults and open drug use was tolerated … until the Fire Marshall finally stepped in and said Enough!
And instead of sending those packing who came from outside the Lower Mainland, outside BC and even outside Canada … demanding “free” housing, the “progressive” City and “progressive” NDP provincial government had another solution: they spent hundreds of millions of dollars to buy up hotels right in the heart of the Granville shopping, dining and entertainment district and move as many homeless, mentally ill and druggies as possible into the area .
And, of course, also open all kinds of service centres and a needle exchange right there too to cater to them all … the local residents and businesses be damned!
What a brilliant “progressive” move that was!
It destroyed the entire area and resulted in MORE assaults, thefts, muggings, stabbings and murders.
But times are changing.
Polls show the victims of all this “progressive” engineering are finally waking up, rising up and mobilizing their discontent.
David Eby and Justin Trudeau should realize how fed up the public has become with their “progressive” agendas and policies !
And want back a society that takes care of and protects the majority … instead of catering to the minority who are destroying it.
Harv Oberfeld
(Follow @harveyoberfeld on “X” (Twitter) for FREE alerts to all new postings on this BC based Blog.)
This extreme progressive BC government of the NDP and Trudeaus crazies will only let things get worse and worse if they win the next election. The only reason they had a high rating and majority the second time around was people were in a pandemic crisis and didn’t want change at the time, and Horgan took advantage of that crisis to call an early election just like Trudeau did. How low is that. But next time, hopefully they both pay for it all at the polls. I hope people see much more of what these people are doing and how much chaos they are causing.
(Response: The media repeatedly mention housing and grocery costs as the reason for Trudeau’s falling popularity …and although I agree with that, I believe there’s something more happening: even those with no housing or financial hardship are also turning away … fed up with all the political “progressive” correctness being pushed on them and negatively impacting their lives. I still think Eby/NDP would win a snap provincial election …but slowly but surely his image/record in office is tarnishing too. h.o)
Erin O’Toole wasn’t exactly a rousing choice as Leader of the PC party during the last election…His military credentials as an air force navigator during peacetime didnt exactly start the heart racing.
Poilievre isn’t exactly a great choice either but….at least he doesn’t wear prescription podiatrist sneakers on stage with a suit……
(Response: Wouldn’t it be great if people voted more for policies/performance than appearances/rhetoric! h.o)
O’Toole would have been a better choice than PP. He appeared more “stable” than PP. I believe people would have voted for him sooner than for PP. Of course we shall see next election. Two years is such a long time in politics.
(Response: Must admit I found O’Toole more “credible” that PP, but I think the timing was off: people just weren’t as fed up with Trudeau then as they seem to be now. I believe Poilievre/Tories will get a lot of votes next time … not because the public really want them, but more because they just want to get rid of Trudeau. If the polls stay the way they are, watch for Liberal strategists to urge JT to take a walk in the snow. h.o)
Sadly, with the next federal election, the party that wins (if there is a winner) is with the leader of the party, the public detests the least.
(Response; Not necessarily. I think many Canadians personally like most (or detest the least) Jagmeet Singh …but there is no way he can win as PM. So it will come down to which of the OTHER two we dislike the least … not a great way to choose. h.o)
I would say most Canadians have only the vaguest knowledge of Singh as the federal NDP has been hijacked by “progressives”, who have done their best to drive the party into the ground.
The only way we can change these politicians is with an X.
(Response: Well, the politicians are also noticing the public backlash against extreme “progressivism”. At a Global Progress Action Summit conference in Montreal over the weekend, Trudeau said, according to the CBC, that “progressive” politicians hoping to triumph over right-leaning political adversaries can only succeed if they do a better job bridging their lofty goals with people’s day-to-day struggles. “If we’re not responding to where people are [in their] daily life, then we’re not going to be connecting with them.” Exactly. Here’s the full article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-progressive-conference-montreal-1.6969612. h.o)
Harvey, Harvey, Harvey.
How dare you question the “progressives”?
Their social experiments need time to start working.
Be patient.
20 years, 30 years from now when no one is jailed for anything and even sadistic killers are “released on bail” immediately after being arrested.
We will have reached “progressive” nirvana.
Talking Circles. Smudging ceremonies.
Will be the order of the day.
Defund the police.
No more jails.
No more Courts.
No more parole boards.
Perfection.
Our statistics will show “zero crime”.
And we will have the NDP and Federal Liberals to thank.
(Response: 20 or 30 years? I think we’re already there …or at least more than half way. Time for the voters to say Enough … and maybe even reverse things at least somewhat …starting with NO bail for accused violent offenders with repeated past convictions! h.o)
Apparently the University of Victoria has hired a consultant to determine how to repaint the color faded Rainbow Crosswalks on university grounds.
Cost for the consultant?
Two years and $24,000.
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/the-rainbow-conundrum-at-uvic-crosswalk-refresh-no-simple-paint-job
Our tax dollars at work.
(Response: Or tax dollars NOT at work! See my response to Keith. h.o)
If I was a betting man I would say that money went to a relative of some sort, connected to the University.
It’s a university for god’s sake, can’t they find someone on campus to figure it out?
A minor issue but sums it up to a degree ( pun intended)
Progressive ideology, at what cost.? Try $24,000
https://www.cheknews.ca/rainbow-crosswalk-costs-uvic-thousands-on-consultants-fees-1168783/
https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/uvic-rainbow-crosswalk-consultation-attracts-two-people-7557208
(Response: Excessive “progressive” stupidity, to be sure. The decision to paint or not to paint should have taken not more than 10 minutes at a meeting of the board responsible … and, if they wanted anyone’s opinion, they could have just asked for it in an advance notice in the the previous meetings Minutes. h.o)
Harv…You nailed it as usual!!!!
Cheers
Ted
(Response: Thanks. As you can see, I’m still stirring things up … hopefully making some interesting points, and enjoying doing it! 🙂 h.o)
I dislike the word “progressive” when it is used to describe ideas of the left. The implication is that those on the left are advanced in their thinking and those on the right are not. However, I truly believe that progressive ideas are regressive. The word “liberal” is a much better word, in my opinion.
It’s beyond comprehension how people can support partial-birth abortion. Abortion alone is bad, but to support partial-birth abortion is awful. It really exemplifies the moral decay in society today.
Open borders are a disaster. It’s completely unfair to those who apply legally. Policies that lead to higher crime rates and more drug abuse are also horrible. We can also mention the nonsense that denies that we have only two sexes, male and female, and the communist indoctrination that is taking place in our schools today.
Canadian politicians are now defending a dead terrorist who called for the assassination of Indian politicians. It is sad that they only care about getting votes and don’t care about the harm that will be done to our relationship with India. It’s time for politicians who care more about their country than about themselves.
Let me end with the pharmaceutical industry. The lengths to which people go to defend it are astonishing. Who really believes that the pharmaceutical industry wants to cure everyone and put itself out of business? Why are ingredients like mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde and monosodium glutamate allowed in vaccines? Why are manufacturers of vaccines immune from liability?
I believe it was Mark Twain who once said, “It is easier to fool a person than to convince him that he has been fooled.” Those who are in denial about what has happened the last few years probably can’t handle the truth. Another possibility is that they don’t want to accept that they were deceived or maybe they have lots of shares in the pharmaceutical industry and have put money ahead of morals.
I’m well aware that what I’m saying here won’t be popular, but that doesn’t make it inaccurate. When people don’t die, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they were saved by a pharmaceutical product. Statistics are easy to manipulate, and there are experts who are paid very well to say whatever their bosses want.
(Response: I don’t mind the term “progressive” or “liberal” and, as I stated, on social issues, I identify/support many of those ideas/positions .. but also respect the right of others to disagree. I think what has now happened is that, too many extremist ideologues on achieving power, no longer are willing to accommodate/tolerate even somewhat those with differing views. So too much now is governed/regarded as black and white. Dictatorships on the left are just as bad as those on the right … even if they think they are just being “progressive”.. h.o)
I recall before Eby entered politics he was putting forward the concept of unionizing inmates? No mention of this from the media etc., I guess Horgan is now reaping the benefits of a coal hawking career change, I wonder what the “enviro’s” in the NDP think of this?
Vancouver has become a “Progressive” crash test dummy, only no post mortem to learn much if anything from all these social experiments, just toss way more resources to the same folks while expecting a magically better result? Overdose deaths are actually up since the legalization of small amounts of poison, only in BC eh? Now the fresh Mayor of Toronto is lobbying the Feds to do the same in Toronto, honestly given the increase in deaths in BC, how can you rationalize this choice by Toronto’s fresh minted “Progressive” Mayor? BCAS is rapidly becoming “Addict Assistance” while response time for other medical issues continually increase? Wait times at ERs are increasing, Ambulances wait to admit patients all over BC, but healthcare is still a photo op for the elected even when prior statements indicate they have fumbled the implementation construction on the very project creating the photo op (new Surrey hospital in Cloverdale) which in the current inflationary blitz only means far more costs!
Many new government employees recently, can the readers please explain what fresh efficiencies or increased service levels have resulted from these new employees? Up here in the scorched interior we have seen far less employees than needed, add the quagmire of new “reports” now required to rebuild after a disaster, 3 years in some Lytton resident’s cases, now some in the Shuswaps are being told 3-5 years? A home takes 8 months maximum to construct, permits, geotech & FN archeology seem to take 2+ years & no permits til then? But hey fly the Premier & fresh ministry leader to photo ops to counter these realities?
The recent comedy of the museum in Victoria only validates the concerns of many struggling citizens, almost all BC govt. services utilized by the “great unwashed” are failing to maintain standards of service, BC ferries, BC hydro (Site C), woefully under equipped & funded BC wildfire, rural road maintenance, mitigation of debris after fires (culverts, ditches & bridges) because we learned bupkis 2 years ago, but apparently much money for a museum overhaul with an accompanying rewrite of BC history???
Still no rain of any real amount, the fires burning in the lost souls in Vancouver & Victoria will get far more attention than the hundreds still burning all over BC, Sacre Bleu!
(Response: The Opposition would do well to read and pay attention to what you (and others) say in these Comments: they show what really concerns many, many voters … and could determine how they vote. I believe even those who are moderate “progressives” have had enough of the tail wagging the dog! h.o)
Eby’s “White hot anger”, was merely a media ploy to show the great unwashed that he is mad at what happened, but as you said, Eby should look into the mirror, because he and the NDP are the problem.
The term “progressive” is really an American term to describe a Liberal because in the Excited States, being a Liberal is only one step away from being a “Damn Commie”. The American abhorrence of the term “Commie” can and does lead to politcal failure.
What we have in Canada are, as the late Rafe Mair termed “Higher Purpose Persons” or people who believed they were of a higher intellect than the average citizen and that they should proceed without question.
Over time these “Higher Purpose Persons” have both been elected and have entered the bureaucracy and do as any politician does well and to screw things up. Those HPP’s in the bureaucracy only magnify the issues creased by the elected HPP’s.
HPP’s cannot be wrong because they would no longer be HPP’s is they have been proven wrong and why Freedom of Information requests are so heavily redacted and alike.
Take SkyTrain as an example: The trains used on the Expo and Millennium Lines are a proprietary railway with only seven such systems sold in 43 years and now with only 6 in operation. Basically it costs over 60% more to operate than conventional railways and no one wants it, yet we keep building with it.
The HPP both in government and the bureaucracy refuse to admit that building with this system has been a mistake and keep building more.
It is the same with the Down Town Eastside as past policies have been, to be polite, a bloody disaster, but with HPP’s in charge, they know better.
Healthcare more of the same, as with Global Warming, our flaming forests and more.
Eby just can’t say, we have done it wrong and instead has a photo-op with him in “White Hot Anger”. Piffle, he doesn’t really care but must show some anger on his way to be honestly elected premier.
HPP’s is why change is all but impossible and doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for different results, is BC’s and Canada’s modus operendi.
(Response: When I read your reference to “Higher Purpose Persons”, what immediately came to mind was the previous Vancouver Parks Board … in my view, a perfect example of “progressive” people who thought they knew what was best for the “world” … and to hell with everyone else. Remember how I cried “foul” months before the working media picked up the angst and discrimination and hurt suffered by seniors, handicapped and families when the “progressive” Green/COPE Board and the “progressive” (Vision/COPE/Green) City Hall totally closed Stanley Park roads AND beachside parking lots/streets to ALL vehicles! Disgraceful fascist style governance by elitist “higher purpose persons” …who, thankfully, got tossed out in the next civic election! h.o)
These people are not progressives. They are nuts.
Some one who kills their own child and then stabs some one else ought not to be give an unescorted day pass. Letting this man out for the day wasn’t progressive it was dangerous and nuts. Perhaps even just plain old lazy.
It is also going to cost real money to deal with the after effects of this nutty decision. It is also making life very difficult for the 3 people who were stabbed.
People making these decisions ought to ask themselves one question: would I want to be in the same room as the stabber and a knife?
I’m not in favour of long prisons sentences and believe a lot of people can be out in the commuity until trial. However, there are also those who a danger to society and society needs to be protected from them. That is why we have jails and mental health hospitals. Now it could be argued the prisons and mental health hospitals are not going to help the offender, so the answer to that one is better prisons, hospitals, staff, etc.
(Response; I wouldn’t say they are nuts: just, when dealing with crime, bleeding heart weaklings who don’t realize some people are just evil, bad, violent … and need to be put away (in prisons or hospitals) to protect the innocent. And in the case of fiscal or political policy making, more likely extreme ideologies who believe achieving their goals is all that counts … no matter who else suffers, gets hurt. h.o)
Harv and the AYFKM party has my vote .
The people who gave the pass should be fired or be put on admin leave?
(Response: I am retired: I shall not run … and if I get elected, I will not serve …unless I can do so from a cruise ship! h.o)
(Response: Wouldn’t it be great if people voted more for policies/performance than appearances/rhetoric! h.o)
And the same would apply to discussions.
When we use “those extremist progressives are destroying society” and to be fair the same kind of rhetoric is used by progressives, we divide people into groups and avoid the actual conversation.
You started with a horrendous story about some guy on an unsupervised day pass from a mental health facility who stabbed three people. Somehow that gets linked to the vague term progressivism and all that is wrong with society, laying the blame for the ills of society at the feet of this vague group of “progressives”.
I googled “unsupervised day pass committing crimes Alberta” to see what is happening in our less “progressive” neighbour.
https://edmontonjournal.com/news/crime/killer-matthew-de-grood-granted-unsupervised-outings.
The two cases are very similar except the guy in Alberta didn’t reoffend. Here is a follow-up story.
https://edmontonjournal.com/news/crime/man-alleging-political-bias-at-alberta-review-board-has-appeal-heard
What do we want from these review boards? Do we even want a review board. Do we want any person who has committed a violent crime ever released into society. What criteria are we going to use. And when a person does re-offend, do we change all the guidelines at the expense of the people who are truly making progress.
These are hard questions at least for me. And it takes more than finger pointing to get to some answer.
The same with bail. Easy google search.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadian-bail-system-1.6700210#:~:text=in%20Canada%20today.-,Under%20the%20Criminal%20Code%2C%20a%20person%20has%20the%20right%20to,they%20will%20remain%20in%20custody.
I guy out on bail kills a police officer. Again an horrendous crime. So what should we do? There are reasons for allowing bail. For one do we jail someone who has not yet been found guilty. But what about past history. In 2019, an amendment was passed that puts reverse onus on repeat violent offenders to prove why they should get bail rather than the prosecutor having to make the case for denial. I think that’s a good thing. I think that’s progress.
What about the 15m from playgrounds. To me, who went to high school in the 60s where the rule was no smoking within 2 blocks – about 300 metres – 15m seems like a joke. But the real issue is decriminalization. Do we want that? I would say yes. Now, we have to hash out the details as we see how the law plays out.
Progress is not a straight line. Corrections will be needed. Sometimes in our zeal to get to that “perfect” place we fail to see bumps in the road. So we keep correcting until we get it right. BUT to get there we need proper discussion on specific policy. I am so tired of hearing Woke or Racist or Homophobic or Fascist or “extremists (whatever side) are destroying society” as if that ends the argument and no real discussion occurs.
(Response: This comment brought me smiles. 🙂 First, you wondered why I would dare say “those extremist progressives are destroying society”? Because they have! I cited several examples of where, not just reasonable or moderate progressives, but “extreme” or “excessive” progresses have wrought havoc on our society. And I must have really been on to something, because just last weekend there was a conference in Montreal of “progressive” leaders/ex leaders to discuss the very concern with radical militancy among progressives that I and other observers (and voters!!) have cited. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-progressive-conference-montreal-1.6969612.
But what really made me laugh in your Comment was the comparison of the record of those oh-so-progressive BC public officials, judges, boards with Alberta ” our less “progressive” neighbour”…you pointed out that there too, a killer was given a day pass, but then confess “The two cases are very similar except the guy in Alberta didn’t reoffend.” LOL!! That’s hilarious: Clearly, the the board or wherever made the decision in less progressive Alberta was better, safer and more successful. I haven’t ever suggested that people who criminally offend or are mentally ill should just be locked up forever and never have any hope of cure, rehabilitation and, where possible and justifiable, eventual re-integration into society. We just need to have more responsible decisions made by smarter or better trained officials ..than those making those decisions here, despite REPEATED offences and warnings. h.o)
Yes, it’s hilarious. The guy in Alberta didn’t reoffend. That’s a huge difference because one killed people, and the other did not!
(Response: Luckily, none of the three stabbed in the latest attack in Vancouver died …just injured. But the key point remains ..the board in “less progressive” Conservative Alberta did a better job than the NDP-appointed board in “progressive BC! h.o)
And your response made me smile. Clearly you missed my point. So let me try again
Whether people agree or not, there were valid arguments to opposing the Stanley Park road closure and there are valid arguments to opposing some decisions affecting Granville Street. We need those kinds of discussion. That leads to progress.
But there is no value or evidence to cherry picking a single decision by the BC Review Board and somehow linking it to extremists wreaking havoc.
I am certainly not condoning or excusing this incident. Something went horribly wrong and we should be taking every precaution to make sure it doesn’t happen again. If there are flaws in the system, fix them. If there are people improperly doing their job, fire them. Hopefully the investigation by the retired police chief will give us some answers.
As for the Alberta case that made you smile: People were upset that de Grood was allowed an unsupervised day pass.
“It is clear to the board … that Mr. de Grood remains a significant risk to the safety of the public,” reads the Sept. 17 order. (But) Treatment team head Dr. Santoch Rai characterized the risk of de Grood experiencing a relapse that is violent in nature as “low.But he said it would likely be of a “high severity” if it did occur.
Would you have granted de Grood an unsupervised day pass? Was the Alberta board smarter as you imply or just luckier than the BC board. This can’t be an easy job As bad as the BC decision turned out to be, does it do any good to attach some (unproven) motive (extremist views) to the people – medical and mental health experts and former judges – who are making these decisions.
It is hard enough having these difficult discussions without the name calling or finger pointing. Discussing an issue – reintegrating prisoners or patients into society, bail reform, decriminalization, what to do about the homeless, the housing and health care crisis, climate change or the cost of living is hard. Calling people “right wing racists/ homophobes” or “left wing wokesters” or “extremist radicals” from either side of the political spectrum is easy but really doesn’t get us anywhere.
(Response: Your basic premise is wrong: there were NO valid reasons to COMPLETELY close Stanley Park roads (how does just driving through a park spread Covid?), and they also removed ALL parking at City beach parking lots …but yet allowed those who came by bicycle, or skateboard, scooters or walking or running unfettered access to the parks and beaches …including gathering together, picnicking in groups etc. This was a far left war/hatred against cars, by a radical ideologically paralysed extremists, who thankfully were tossed out in the next civic election. h.o)
This topic is quite important to me. I will try to be as clear as I can. And I don’t want you to think I am turning this into a debate. Anyway…
My basic premise is not wrong. I said there were valid reasons for OPPOSING the closure. I was validating your side of the argument. Now you can say that there were no valid reasons for closing the roads if you want but some people thought otherwise. That’s why the roads were closed. Both sides can feel that their side is correct. In the Stanley Park case, there was outcry, the road was reopened, and ultimately the people who made the decision were not re-elected so havoc (if there was ever havoc in this particular case) has been unwreaked. Whatever side was taken, messy democracy prevailed.
Next. I believe that the decision to let Donnelly out on an unsupervised day pass should be investigated. But I am not going to pass judgment on the motivations of those people making these difficult decisions until the evidence is in. That’s why I asked whether or not you would have released de Grood in the Alberta case. The cases are very similar. I was well aware that the outcome was different. That’s why I selected it. In one case the outcome was horrible but it isn’t a stretch to imagine the outcomes being reversed. At the end of the day we want these decisions to pose as little risk to the public as possible. But unless there is a pattern, you can’t come to a general conclusion (extremists wreaking havoc) by cherry picking one horrible example.
Same with the dumb 15m law for people using drugs. And it is dumb. But decriminalization is what led to that law and I don’t think that is dumb. I think possession of small amounts of drugs should not be a criminal offensive. But possession and use are not the same. I don’t think people should be shooting up anywhere in a public space let alone 15m from a playground. If someone is that desperate, they are in desperate need of help. I am not suggesting that they be arrested, tried and locked up for any lengthy period of time, but they should be taken off the street and placed somewhere for say 24 hours, ideally some facility where they are offered some kind of aid.
Now my actual premise. I have no clue if what I have said above is workable, progressive, stupid or whatever. But we can and should have these discussions without trying to demonize the other side. We have to focus on the actual topic rather than the people making the case.
And yes I have already said this but guess what. This came up on my news feed today,
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/canadians-pierre-poilievre-justin-trudeau-lgbtq-post-020533727.html
On the march the other day about trans people in the schools or sex education or , parental rights, Trudeau had this to say.
“Let me make one thing very clear. Homophobia, transphobia and biphobia have no place in our country. We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations, and we stand united in support of 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians across the country — you are valid and you are valued,”
Poilievre’s response. “Justin Trudeau always divides to distract from all that he has broken. This time, he is demonizing concerned parents. Parents should be the final authority on the values and lessons that are taught to children. Trudeau should butt out and let parents raise their kids.”
Neither of our leaders is making any effort to address the concerns on one side of the debate. Most of Trudeau’s tweet is dead on correct. But as Poilievre points out, Trudeau has demonized others in the past and, in this case, by using the word hate, he is doing it again. I am absolutely convinced that there are people who level hate towards LGBT people. Some of it was in that march. But not everybody was motivated by hate. Maybe ignorance, general misunderstanding or some deep concern. Trudeau makes no effort to address those people.
On the other hand, Poilievre isn’t wrong on calling out Trudeau and his divisiveness. But nowhere does he address the concerns of LGBT people who see not just hate which is absolutely unacceptable but also the misunderstanding that could be overcome by a leader willing to listen to both sides and seriously try to find that common ground or solution.
So that is my premise. By all means attack the topic or opinion. Good debate is essential. But attacking the person generally shuts down debate and we back into our echo chambers where no common round is ever found.
Sorry for the length. If you got this far I thank you.
(Response: We actually agree on several of the issues you mention: decriminalization of small amounts of drugs; Homophobia, transphobia, women’s choice etc. But I believe the release of any REPEAT murderer/stabber whose own review/analysis warned is still a danger was totally incompetent and irresponsible …and created three more victims! Heads should role on this one… and, yes, I believe this was a perfect example of “excessive” progressive(s) acting more in the interest in patient than in ensuring the protection of the public. The problem is not being progressive …I have been for many decades on many social issues: it’s those extreme, excessive bleeding heart progressives on the far left who place their own ideological or even revolutionary zeal ahead of common sense, consideration for others and even public safety. And this where I think Trudeau/Liberals and perhaps even Eby/NDP are in growing troubles …because many, many Canadians who voted for them years ago, now feel as I outlined. h.o.)
Looks like voters think Eby is just fine! His “progressive” agent puts the party at 48% , B.C. Lieberals/B.C. United-20% and the Conservatives 19%. Greens were fourth.
Not every one is happy with Eby and the NDP, but it would appear 48% of committed voters are fine with what he is doing. Although many argue about his “progressiveness” and its “negative” impact on the province, people do appear to have more faith in him and the NDP to provide the services they need, i.e. hospitals, medical equipment, schools, housing, etc. Most of the problems, issues B.C. has are the same problems other major cities have all over the world. Its who looks best for getting people through the mess and looks like they are doing or plannimg on doing something. California’s Gov. seems to be givimg it the old school try with changes.