This is not a comprehensive solution, but it is - something of a solution, a start, as it were, and addresses a few of the more obvious issues.
Firstly, to observe, it's beyond an "epidemic", the addiction, homelessness, mental health issues that plague central Vancouver and East Hastings districts. It is a full on Zombie-Apocalypse.
The most important thing: Free drugs. Decriminalize drugs. The government can provide these at outlets for those who want them for absolutely free. Heroin, cocaine, most of the common street drugs can be had - without the intervention of the criminal element - for pennies a dose. And by the government providing them we not only reduce the influence of organized crime as well as associated crime by junkies looking to purchase their next fix, but overdoses as well. This is a "Win-Win" no matter how you slice it.
Given the abundance of vacancies in the area - I mean completely vacant, run-down hotels, housing should be provided as well. Both permanent and transitional, for those that want to move on in their lives. Nothing in the least bit fancy, merely a place to get in out of the rain, off of the street, to get cleaned up, showered, store some personal possessions.
For those that still prefer to live on the street lockers can be provided. Lockers, positioned throughout areas with higher rates of homelessness so that they have access to the ownership of property. Property is generally considered an inalienable right. Property, in Western Culture, certainly, defines you. This needs to be addressed, for sure - but it's not the first thing we should be addressing in this regard.
Public Washroom - this should not need explaining. Public washrooms should be made accessible and available on every block - the savings of having accessible toilets - vs the public disgust of stepping over diarrhea, shit, vomit, etc - we've privatized the most basic of needs - dumping the onus on small businesses that for good reason don't want to allow homeless access. "You need to buy a grande latte to take a shit, sorry sir..." - we've commercialized the most basic of human functions. While Vancouver has more public toilets than many major urban centers, clearly it does not yet have enough.
Cash Paying Jobs - working for the city, at a fraction of the rate of contracted or unionized city workers - cleaning graffiti, picking up needles, litter, etc.
Homeless people have a community - and would police themselves. They would quickly put an end to the Graffiti and the littering of needles. They would be invested. At which point they could be put onto more challenging and rewarding projects. Beautification projects. Give them housing in the community. Give them charge of the community. Instead of Graffiti, allow them to do Murals. If they show promise in certain roles hire them on - working for the city or in other roles. You would be surprised at the reservoirs of untapped talent. And drug addiction - on it's own, especially heroin - does not mean you can't hold a job or productive role in society.
Begin enrichment programs. Partner homeless/addicts/mentally ill with sober and healthy people in the community - they need networks of people other than themselves to evolve. Find what motivates or interests them and assist them with becoming involved. Many of these problems stem from a lack of engagement - being invested and engaged is often the first step on the ladder out.
Remove the Stigma.
Addiction, Homelessness and Mental Illness - are SOCIAL Illnesses. They exist generally in and as a result of Society. In the instance of Native Peoples - who are over represented in every instance - it's a response to generational trauma - to being displaced from their lands, their reserves, to having their children taken from them - or being the children that were taken. For the rest, there are probably as many specific circumstances as there are homeless. But - they should not be blamed, they should be assisted in making better choices, when ready.
Ignoring these issues costs us far, far more than addressing them. This area, that we allow this, without assistance or intervention, it marks us as a third world country. We should be embarrassed. We can do better.
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Or, more simply put - Olbers's Paradox. If the sky is filled with stars - and it is - then why at night is it dark?
To quote the Wiki:
The theory that the night sky should be filled with light from the infinitude of stars that present themselves....
Arguments that explain it away:
#1) Big Bang - time has not allowed the light to reach here.
Nope. I hate to say it but I don't buy the Big Bang theory. There are problems with it. Many, many problems, too many to lay out here. But before you second guess my skepticism let me remind you that it's losing it's cache even as we're talking now -
#2) Gravity could deflect and concentrate those infinitude of tiny, distant stars into larger and larger stars, merging the wavelengths of a thousand distant stars into one - or black holes could deflect and suck the light in, creating black voids.
This is probably true. But true for many instances does not explain all the instances. Maybe it does? But while we're brainstorming here...
#3) That as light travels, it shifts red or blue - coming towards us, heading away from us. And that shift takes it off the visible spectrum. So the night sky is in fact filled with light, but beyond the spectrums our eyes can see.
So the night sky presents itself to us as black but is in fact filled with more colors than our eyes can perceive.
More below:
via Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-is-the-night-sky-dark/
via Emma Osborne: https://www.ogdentrust.com/assets/media/THS_Emma_Osborne_Physics_Essay_-_Olbers_paradox.pdf
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This in regards to my distaste for other peoples voiced sexual preferences and inclinations.
While I loathe to disagree with Conservatives on anything, in this they are right. There are only 2 genders. You are born either Male or Female. A sex change does not alter your birth gender. If you have a sex-change - for example from male to female - that does not give you the right to compete against women in the Olympics.
Now, to clarify - Gender is indeed a construct - from a social perspective - but there is no disputing that Men and Women are born different. The only exception or caveat I would qualify this with is in those - albeit very rare cases - where gender is uncertain and so assigned at birth by a Doctor, who gets it wrong.
Everything else is a matter of taste. You are a man who likes men? You're a Mr. You're a Man. You are a woman who likes women? Ms. or Mrs. You're a woman.
No additional pronouns or "Other" categories are needed.
The fact is - no matter what your taste or preferences, an excess of liberality has allowed us to "Gender" you based upon these preferences. This is first of all
A) Irrelevant
B) Wrong.
There are very few social situations in which I need or even desire to know your preferences. The vast majority of my friends and acquaintances I have no desire or inclination to sleep with. They don't need to know my preferences. For me to embarrass them with lurid embellishments of my sexual exploits or demand they conform to MY "NON-BINARY" (mis)Understanding of the world is as offensive as them demanding I listen to their exploits and conform to their expectations of the world.
Non-Binary is simply a means of assuming that your fluid tastes make you a far more colorful person than your neighbor. This may be true, taste is an idiosyncratic and peculiar thing, but as soon as you feel the need to elaborate upon it it also makes you a bore.
Now for a few words regarding "Gender".
There are 2 genders - which are described by an abundance of gender pronouns. Mr, Mrs, Miss, He, She, His, Hers, Etc. Not all cultures use them - for example Finnish, Estonian, Chinese, Etc. I will accept arguments against gender pronouns on the basis of a historical power imbalance - the patriarchy has embedded within language a deep seated power imbalance, that by implication prejudices the reader or hearer of the pronoun.
So, instead of creating more gender pronouns, create fewer. One. Accept people in personhood will be bigger step towards equality than creating a mass of pronouns to describe what should be regarded as a personal and intimate part of their lives. To emphasize any gender - or preference - makes it a bigger thing than it needs to be. No one - no whole person - should be defined by their taste in what is a relatively small and unimportant part of their lives and relationships with others. Therein lies true equality.
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A common assertation by anti-vaxxers, that they're put at risk by being in the presence of vaccinated people due to "shedding" - vaccinated people "shedding" the virus.
Nevermind most anti-vaxxers will assure you that the virus doesn't exist, or that if it does it can't harm you if you're healthy, or it's a microchip, will make you magnetic, charge you with the 5G, etc, etc. So much bullshit.
Anyways, here's the scoop on Covid 19 "Shedding" from the CDC website:
Do any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States shed or release any of their components?
No. Vaccine shedding is the term used to describe the release or discharge of any of the vaccine components in or outside of the body. Vaccine shedding can only occur when a vaccine contains a weakened version of the virus. None of the vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. contain a live virus. mRNA and viral vector vaccines are the two types of currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines available.
So - there you have it. Useful information found, read and digested in under a minute on Google. Which should tell you just how long these anti-vaxxers invested in their research.
Natural Selection is here, and I for one - while I despise the inconvenience, look forward to the results.
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