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I was at Walmart today, just as I was getting out of the car a guy in his late 20's comes up to me and starts in with a story about how he lost his job and needs some cash to put gas in his car. As I'm semi listening to him I see the sign at Walmart saying "now hiring all positions, full time, part time"

 

I point him toward the sign and he says "I'm not working at Walmart"

 

I denied his request for aid.

What an amazing community of people we’ve got on this forum.

Every morning I can’t wait to login and check the posts. You guys and gals crack me up every day, you make me think beyond my horizons and despite our differences we all come together on a daily basis to voice them.

How cool is that?

My response to police not being allowed at Pride.

So, with the ongoing debate about police officers at Pride throughout North America, I have decided it’s time for me to come out of the closet. The closet of being a victim of trauma. Which traumas doesn't matter, this is not a competition.

Yes, I said traumas. So yes, there is more than one, and some were even self inflicted traumas to attempt to “recover” from previous traumas.

Now, I am sure you are going to say “gee, white boy with privilege trauma, someone must be devastated about not getting into Harvard”. I am going to tell you, no I know what “real" trauma is and leave it at that.

A note about the white privilege that I may be accused of having before we go on. While I do not deny advantages may exist, I will never agree that my trauma is lesser than anyone else. Nor, does that mean that I am saying it was more.

Why? I am a 47 year old man that grew up in the mid-western bible belt of the US. I gave been called a faggot, a queer and every other homophobic word in the book. I used to sit and listen to family and friends talk about those faggot-queers “deserving what they got" when bashing stories were on the news or whatever talk show. I had to face all the torment a young child may face today for being gay. But, without the chance of a sympathetic teacher or ally. Back then, we had to hide, even from each other. Especially if you were a child with other trauma.

So I had to live in fear of making some movement or gesture that might give me away. I had to spend hours in the bathroom practicing my voice in the mirror so their was no indication of my sexuality. Basically, I had to spend my life pretending I was something I wasn't.

And these are not even my traumas.

So, when I listen and read about individuals that are upset by the trauma they suffered at the hands of the police, and they should not be allowed to march in a Pride Parade because they are/ could be a trigger, I say take some responsibility for yourself. Have some understanding that you are the one responsible for interacting with the world. It is not everyone else’s responsibility to make the world safe for you. There are too many different traumas, and you or your group are not unique. However, if you are the victim of a trauma that can be “categorized” into a a common group trauma (i.e. a perceived or actual injustice by the police), feel some solace in that fact that you can share recovery from that trauma with others today. There was a time, no matter what you were you couldn't. In the past, some of us had no chance to share our trauma even if we were white males. Thus we suffered till late in life.

I suffer from PTSD, clinical depression and high functioning anxiety because of the traumas I have been through. Many, many things are triggers, life is a process that is controlled by highly structured regulatory. One that requires me to regulate myself, so that I can go out, and take part in life. So, it’s not easy. Many thing are a trigger, and I use tools and techniques to function on a day to day basis.

The thing I don't do is ask the world to stop because of my triggers. I don't think, expect or mandate that safe spaces be made for me so I can go out in the world. I make my safe spaces for myself, so that I can exist. I don't ask or expect other to change to fit my issues. That would not be fair.

Surviving trauma means you are a survivor. Easier said then done. But it is possible, and it can stop being everyone else’s fault.
There are many things that I could try to demand not be a part of my Pride because of the fact they could be a trigger. I would never do that. That is not my place, or my right. My right is to heal myself.

So my point. Stop asking for everything from everyone else. Take some responsibility for yourself. Yes what has happened to you, and me is horrible. But it is unique to you, and everyone’s experience is the same. So stop trying to force your experience on everyone else. Make yourself whole. In doing so, don’t make someone else incomplete.

The Oak Bay Police Department isn't holding back.

 

The force posted a New Year's resolution message on Twitter, to which Chrissy Brett replied.

 

OBPD: Any #newyearsresolutions this year?  May we kindly suggest 'stopping completely at stop signs'? The #oakbay Police have some resolutions this year...and you set them for us! You identified our priorities for the next 5 yrs and we're looking forward to delivering.

 

Chrissy Brett: My new yrs resolution is a round 2 of municipalities we've already been too....afternwe have cycled through Central Saanich & Sidney to add to our list of PDs who work with us not mud sling.  Only part of Duncan RCMP and Westshore RCMP & oak bay pd make it personal not policing

 

OBPD: We have an invoice for you. It was initially going to be mailed to your home...but I felt we should just hold it for you for if you came back.  Its for the damaged bench $1500 & 3 Hazmat call-outs ($500 each). I'll hold it here & if you return to camp, it will be served on you.

You know, it's honestly so sad really to see the constant anti-bike sentiment here. Such a North American way of thinking to need an instant return on investment with these bike lanes. What ever happened to planting a tree under whose shade you don't expect to sit.

 

I can walk by any number of modern buildings in Victoria, something we always champion as being a positive for the City, that have empty ground floor commercial space. Does that make those buildings a failure? Sure, it wasn't public dollars spent, but it's the same principle.

 

What about Dwight D. Eisenhower. Was he a fool for creating the Interstate Highway System? Building massive road infrastructure that he would never see reach it's full potential in his lifetime? But something that no one can now argue was a failure.

 

It takes time for projects to reach their full potential. This is called pro-active planning. We bemoan the Mackenzie Interchange as being reactive planning, yet we now bemoan this pro-active planning as well? Complaining for the sake of complaining if I've ever seen it.

Oh look, it's the latest VV uber-right wing thread. Hold on, let me get my popcorn.

We have to stabilize people, and there are major doubts, in my opinion, when it comes to services for treatment and addictions care. You don’t have to look far to see there are not many services.

 

So here lies the problem that Victoria is facing. Is there a lack of services..... or is there too many users who come here because of the enhanced hobo lifestyle that politics has provided for them?

 

When we fail to uphold the law, anarchy appears. (slap a "goog" on that and refresh your memory on what anarchy means)

 

When anarchy appears, law abiding citizens get nervous and ask their law enforcement people to perform their duties.

 

When law enforcement suggests that the root cause of the problem is political and seek to divert our attention towards politics instead of performing their duties.....then there can be a perception of law enforcement being infected by politics.

 

A law without a penalty is only a suggestion.

 

Unless we enforce the laws that our society has placed upon us all .......standby for some more anarchy.

HOMELESS DEPOT

CLOSING FOREVER

EVERYTHING MUST GO

FINAL DAY AUG 8 2016

ALL ITEMS FINAL SALE

BIKE PARTS

TENTS

BIKE PARTS
ROTTEN CLOTHES

BIKE PARTS

HUMAN FECAL MATTER

BIKE PARTS

DRUG PARAPHENILIA

LIVE RATS

SHOPPING CARTS

WEAPONS

STOLEN PROPERTY

DO NOT MISS THIS EPIC EVENT

 

Mayor Helps and her crew are off on another junket trip to China and Japan. She continues to promote U-bicycle, the company with the recent SFU grad CEO and Victoria investment backing, as her example of Chinese investment in Victoria and justification for another trip.

 

https://www.vicnews....to-china-japan/

 

The following letter to the editor was published in the Times-Colonist newspaper on September 18, 2012:

 

I have lost my patience with the DT population who make their substance-induced psychosis everyone else's problem. Too many confrontations. Thursday evening we were waiting for a bus and my kid and I were asked for a quarter by a very animated and aggressive guy with a bike. My kid and I both said, no sorry we don't have any change and my daughter even gave him a smile. We turned back around to look at the window display we had been interrupted discussing only to have this guy come right up to our backsides and point his finger into my head like a gun, saying yeah f--- you you don't DONATE **** I know your type blah blah. My daughter freaked (she's 9) and I turned around and got between them, was super angry and asked him, "What did you just say?" He backed off and then as soon as we turned around again he came at us swinging his bike. A man passing by stepped in. I'm so done with this BS. I've started carrying two types of protection because I feel vulnerable without it. Little does this guy know we donate food, toiletries and clothing through the year to Our Place. We care about the homeless population. However, I am DONE taking this **** from the aggressive active addicts in our city core.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and her council are challenging residents to take part in a community-wide fast on May 25 to mark Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

 

I'm sorry, but When TF did it become appropriate for City Council to recommend to residents to adopt religious practices?

 

“I think it’s really important for council to be able to be here standing alongside the Muslim community. We do this with the Jewish community at Hanukkah. We do it with the Christian Community at Christmas,” she said.

Yeah, but do they, though?  Do they "challenge" residents to accept Christ at Christmas?  I've never heard of Lisa asking us to give something up for Lent.  Or to keep Sabbath for a month (imagine all of the freed up parking!)?  I get that they want to make the Muslim community feel at home in Victoria.  But to challenge residents to starve themselves in a year in which even most Muslims find it difficult to fast (Ramadan is always toughest in spring/summer, with the increasing hours of daylight)?  This smacks of writing letters to Vladimir Putin, wagging its collective finger at their curbing of gay rights.  Church and state are separate here for a reason.  Seriously Lisa and Co., stay in your lane.  

 

http://www.timescolo...fast-1.23305250

Wife and I have just returned from downtown. We were approached by a pan handler asking for food money, we politely declined. He responded by saying he hopes we effing choke on our next meal. 

 

We'll be eating dinner around 7 pm this evening.

 

This may be my last post.

 

99% of the issues I have with cops in general is their highly selective enforcement of the law, combined with their seemingly endless drive to go about their business with the sole goal of  hassling common citizens for traffic tickets, stereo too loud in your house (taxpayer), all the while ignoring panhandlers, tent cities, drug dealers, violent offenders, gangs, home invaders, and just general miscreants.

 

Cops hear this stuff all the time.  I pull someone over for speeding, they tell me I should be going after the "junkies".  Then I arrest someone for dealing crack cocaine, they tell me I should be going after the drunk drivers.  I arrest someone for domestic assault, they tell me I should be going after the pedophiles. I write someone a bylaw ticket for a noisy stereo, they tell me that I should be investigating their neighbour for smoking pot.  And on it goes...

 

A lot of people, when stopped by police, seem to have all these great ideas about what police officers should be doing.  Oddly enough, their ideas never involve limits on their own behaviour. 

Time for some shameless self-promotion! I've just debuted Vicious Upcycle, a new blog about my adventures sprucing up my condo using shoddy DIY techniques and poorly upcycled thrift store items. Guaranteed to meet your daily intake requirements for self-deprecation and photos of weird crap for sale at Value Village. Check it out and follow/share if you like it, ignore it if you don't. 

Thank you to those of you who have communicated with me in private. Your input and feedback is important and has been taken into consideration. The moderating team feels it is best to lock this thread for a period of time, and below are our reasons why.

 

VibrantVictoria is an open format discussion platform for the public to share and discuss matters related to our community and beyond; anyone is able to create an account and post to this forum. We, as moderators, take no more responsibility for information posted to this forum than a platform like Twitter, Reddit or Facebook takes for comments posted there.

 

Unfortunately this fact is often lost on the public when they attribute fault or blame for content on VibrantVictoria they do not agree with or believe to be factual. In other words, information posted here is in no way sanctioned/approved/authorized by VibrantVictoria or its moderators, but the greater community sometimes attributes discussions here as published and vetted content by VibrantVictoria.

 

To be mislabelled as fake news, referred to in public as "vicious Victoria," "crap," a "shithole," and many other terms that have appeared over the last two days is challenging. It erodes the work we put into this platform and makes it difficult if not impossible within some segments of the community to climb out of a hole dug for us, not by us.

 

We cannot apologize for something we did not do, and we cannot be responsible for the actions of individuals who contribute to this forum or on our Facebook page, but what we can do is learn from this as an organization and hope that our community of contributors takes to heart the responsibility that comes with presenting information on this platform and how it can be perceived by the public.

I didn't settle here. I was born here. This topic should have been discussed with my ancestors when they were alive and had the opportunity to discuss this in person.

I can't speak to their actions, and I certainly haven't budgeted for paying for them. We are all citizens of the world and we all should be able to live our lives without being subject to racism.

Who owns what and how they came to claim ownership has varied over time. In the distant past it could have been whoever was stronger made the decision. Today we use a judicial system. In the future we may revert to a system that was similar to our past. Until then .........get away from me.

So why have property taxes in Saanich gone up so much?

 

They forgot to cancel their Spector 360 license.

I'm afraid the homeless problem is such that adding 300 campers into housing just means there's space for 300 more in our parks.  I can't see the total going down.  It'll take a concentrated and holistic approach not only in the city but across the country.  Otherwise we'll still be the magnet. 

 

So is there any appetite to reduce the magnet conditions we have here?  Is there any desire to make this place less attractive to the homeless, while at the same time supporting the homeless?  The higher barriers to services that I've advocated for here over and over again.  

 

The carrot/stick solutions.

 

A reduction in the cost of caring for the homeless, by increasing volunteerism and work by the homeless to take care of themselves and their community.  A move to empower them to take care of themselves, instead of just handing them all kinds of benefits with no means test, or payback.

 

And a way out of the drug cycle.  I'm pretty sure 147 living together in low-barrier housing on Johnson does not support a move away from addictions.

Just so this whole exercise wasn't a complete waste of everyone's time, can we at least agree on the big lesson that was learned? The "third world slum" model doesn't work, isn't safe, isn't clean, and actually aggravates many of the issues that need to be addressed. Whenever this model is promoted again it must be pointed out that it was a dysfunctional mess for several months on the courthouse lawn. Logic dictates that it should be a non-starter from this point forward. And it was never the sort of thing that a modern western city should have been aspiring to develop in the first place. If the idea of human beings huddled together on pallets on a muddy field floats your boat then suffice it to say, you don't have much respect for human beings.

 

I have a real problem with the entire premise whereby supposedly innovative solutions must = shantytowns of tents and/or doghouses. This format is undignified and uncivilized by its very nature and there are immediate hygiene and safety issues, as we've all seen. If we're going to offer free homes then we should do it right. No clumsy improvisation. The dwellings must be sited in an appropriate area and be purpose-built, safe, clean, dry and properly maintained. Anything less only perpetuates a culture of indignity. That culture of indignity might be politically useful to some people but for the vast majority of us it's no good for anything.

BCFP Mill