Category Archives: behaviour

behaviour, Consider

Let them eat cake

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Picture if you will, a fence, a 7 foot tall chain link fence that divides a larger enclosed area in two. On one side of the fence two large pavilions/tents have been erected on the paving brick of the garden terrace. Three sides of the pavilions/tents have been left open to the healing peace of the garden while on the fourth side, the side that faces the fence that divides, white fabric walls have been raised.

Under the towering white spires of the pavilions are tables covered with white linen tablecloths and circled by chairs to seat the visitors for their midday repast.

To one side of the pavilions stands a BBQ on which is cooking the luncheon entrée. Rising from the BBQ grill is a cloud of scent infused smoke which wafts through the chain link fence. The scent permiates the airspace on the other side of the fence with the mouthwatering aroma of barbequing beef.

Standing on the concrete surface of that courtyard space, enveloped in the tantalizing scent of barbequing beef, are Abbotsford’s hungry homeless and poor; lined up waiting for the door in the side of the building which forms one side of the enclosure to open and admit them for what for many of Abbotsford’s hungry will be their only meal of the day – lunch.

New arrivals continue to trickle in as time ticks down to the appointed hour for lunch to begin. These new arrivals enter the courtyard with broad smiles on their faces as they sniff the air and happily profess their anticipation of enjoying barbequed beef for lunch.

Their faces fall as they are informed by those waiting in line that the BBQ is not for peasants such as themselves but for the august personages gathered under the pavilions.

The door opens and the hungry file quietly in to get their lunch, a bowl of soup and sandwich, escaping the tantalizing false promises made by the wafting scent of beef cooking on the BBQ.

I want to make it clear that I do not begrudge the members of the Abbotsford Christian Leadership a feast of barbequed burgers.

I am merely suggesting that leadership, in particular Christian leadership, should exemplify compassion, consideration and care for those less fortunate members of the community rather than such a thoughtless egocentric disregard.

If at this point you are telling yourself “they get a fine lunch every day” or some analogous disavowal – you’ve not discerned the gist, the essence.

I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. Desmond Tutu

George Washington’s

Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour

In Company and Conversation

1st Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present.

2nd When in Company, put not your Hands to any Part of the Body, not usualy Discovered.

3rd Shew Nothing to your Freind that may affright him.

4th In the Presence of Others Sing not to yourself with a humming Noise, nor Drum with your Fingers or Feet.

5th If You Cough, Sneeze, Sigh, or Yawn, do it not Loud but Privately; and Speak not in your Yawning, but put Your handkercheif or Hand before your face and turn aside.

6th Sleep not when others Speak, Sit not when others stand, Speak not when you Should hold your Peace, walk not on when others Stop.

7th Put not off your Cloths in the presence of Others, nor go out your Chamber half Drest.

8th At Play and at Fire its Good manners to Give Place to the last Commer, and affect not to Speak Louder than Ordinary.

9th Spit not in the Fire, nor Stoop low before it neither Put your Hands into the Flames to warm them, nor Set your Feet upon the Fire especially if there be meat before it.

10th When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them.

11th Shift not yourself in the Sight of others nor Gnaw your nails.

12th Shake not the head, Feet, or Legs rowl not the Eys lift not one eyebrow higher than the other wry not the mouth, and bedew no mans face with your Spittle, by appr[oaching too nea]r him [when] you Speak.

13th Kill no Vermin as Fleas, lice ticks &c in the Sight of Others, if you See any filth or thick Spittle put your foot Dexteriously upon it if it be upon the Cloths of your Companions, Put it off privately, and if it be upon your own Cloths return Thanks to him who puts it off.

14th Turn not your Back to others especially in Speaking, Jog not the Table or Desk on which Another reads or writes, lean not upon any one.

15th Keep your Nails clean and Short, also your Hands and Teeth Clean yet without Shewing any great Concern for them.

16th Do not Puff up the Cheeks, Loll not out the tongue rub the Hands, or beard, thrust out the lips, or bite them or keep the Lips too open or too Close.

17th Be no Flatterer, neither Play with any that delights not to be Play’d Withal.

18th Read no Letters, Books, or Papers in Company but when there is a Necessity for the doing of it you must ask leave: come not near the Books or Writings of Another so as to read them unless desired or give your opinion of them unask’d also look not nigh when another is writing a Letter.

19th let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.

20th The Gestures of the Body must be Suited to the discourse you are upon.

21st: Reproach none for the Infirmaties of Nature, nor Delight to Put them that have in mind thereof.

22nd Shew not yourself glad at the Misfortune of another though he were your enemy.

23rd When you see a Crime punished, you may be inwardly Pleased; but always shew Pity to the Suffering Offender.

24th Do not laugh too loud or] too much at any Publick [Spectacle].

25th Superfluous Complements and all Affectation of Ceremonie are to be avoided, yet where due they are not to be Neglected.

26th In Pulling off your Hat to Persons of Distinction, as Noblemen, Justices, Churchmen &c make a Reverence, bowing more or less according to the Custom of the Better Bred, and Quality of the Person. Amongst your equals expect not always that they Should begin with you first, but to Pull off the Hat when there is no need is Affectation, in the Manner of Saluting and resaluting in words keep to the most usual Custom.

27th Tis ill manners to bid one more eminent than yourself be covered as well as not to do it to whom it’s due Likewise he that makes too much haste to Put on his hat does not well, yet he ought to Put it on at the first, or at most the Second time of being ask’d; now what is herein Spoken, of Qualification in behaviour in Saluting, ought also to be observed in taking of Place, and Sitting down for ceremonies without Bounds is troublesome.

28th If any one come to Speak to you while you are are Sitting Stand up tho he be your Inferiour, and when you Present Seats let it be to every one according to his Degree.

29th When you meet with one of Greater Quality than yourself, Stop, and retire especially if it be at a Door or any Straight place to give way for him to Pass.

30th In walking the highest Place in most Countrys Seems to be on the right hand therefore Place yourself on the left of him whom you desire to Honour: but if three walk together the mid[dest] Place is the most Honourable the wall is usually given to the most worthy if two walk together.

31st If any one far Surpassess others, either in age, Estate, or Merit [yet] would give Place to a meaner than hims[elf in his own lodging or elsewhere] the one ought not to except it, S[o he on the other part should not use much earnestness nor offer] it above once or twice.

32nd: To one that is your equal, or not much inferior you are to give the cheif Place in your Lodging and he to who ’tis offered ought at the first to refuse it but at the Second to accept though not without acknowledging his own unworthiness.

33rd They that are in Dignity or in office have in all places Preceedency but whilst they are Young they ought to respect those that are their equals in Birth or other Qualitys, though they have no Publick charge.

34th It is good Manners to prefer them to whom we Speak befo[re] ourselves especially if they be above us with whom in no Sort we ought to begin.

35th Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive.

36th Artificers & Persons of low Degree ought not to use many ceremonies to Lords, or Others of high Degree but Respect and high[ly] Honour them, and those of high Degree ought to treat them with affibility & Courtesie, without Arrogancy.

37th In Speaking to men of Quality do not lean nor Look them full in the Face, nor approach too near them at lest Keep a full Pace from them.

38th In visiting the Sick, do not Presently play the Physicion if you be not Knowing therein.

39th In writing or Speaking, give to every Person his due Title According to his Degree & the Custom of the Place.

40th Strive not with your Superiers in argument, but always Submit your Judgment to others with Modesty.

41st Undertake not to Teach your equal in the art himself Proffesses; it Savours of arrogancy.

42nd Let thy ceremonies in] Courtesie be proper to the Dignity of his place [with whom thou conversest for it is absurd to ac]t the same with a Clown and a Prince.

43rd Do not express Joy before one sick or in pain for that contrary Passion will aggravate his Misery.

44th When a man does all he can though it Succeeds not well blame not him that did it.

45th Being to advise or reprehend any one, consider whether it ought to be in publick or in Private; presently, or at Some other time in what terms to do it & in reproving Shew no Sign of Cholar but do it with all Sweetness and Mildness.

46th Take all Admonitions thankfully in what Time or Place Soever given but afterwards not being culpable take a Time [&] Place convenient to let him him know it that gave them.

47th Mock not nor Jest at anything of Importance break [n]o Jest that are Sharp Biting and if you Deliver anything witty and Pleasent abtain from Laughing thereat yourself.

48th Wherein wherein you reprove Another be unblameable yourself; for example is more prevalent than Precepts.

49th Use no Reproachfull Language against any one neither Curse nor Revile.

50th Be not hasty to beleive flying Reports to the Disparag[e]ment of any.

51st Wear not your Cloths, foul, unript or Dusty but See they be Brush’d once every day at least and take heed tha[t] you approach not to any Uncleaness.n

52nd In your Apparel be Modest and endeavour to accomodate Nature, rather than to procure Admiration keep to the Fashio[n] of your equals Such as are Civil and orderly with respect to Times and Places.

53rd Run not in the Streets, neither go t[oo s]lowly nor wit[h] Mouth open go not Shaking yr Arms [kick not the earth with yr feet, go] not upon the Toes, nor in a Dancing [fashion].

54th Play not the Peacock, looking every where about you, to See if you be well Deck’t, if your Shoes fit well if your Stokings sit neatly, and Cloths handsomely.

55th Eat not in the Streets, nor in the House, out of Season.

56th Associate yourself with Men of good Quality if you Esteem your own Reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad Company.

57th In walking up and Down in a House, only with One in Compan[y] if he be Greater than yourself, at the first give him the Right hand and Stop not till he does and be not the first that turns, and when you do turn let it be with your face towards him, if he be a Man of Great Quality, walk not with him Cheek by Joul but Somewhat behind him; but yet in Such a Manner that he may easily Speak to you.

58th Let your Conversation be without Malice or Envy, for ’tis a Sig[n o]f a Tractable and Commendable Nature: And in all Causes of Passion [ad]mit Reason to Govern.

59th Never express anything unbecoming, nor Act agst the Rules Mora[l] before your inferiours.

60th Be not immodest in urging your Freinds to Discover a Secret.

61st Utter not base and frivilous things amongst grave and Learn’d Men nor very Difficult Questians or Subjects, among the Ignorant or things hard to be believed, Stuff not your Discourse with Sentences amongst your Betters nor Equals.

62nd Speak not of doleful Things in a Time of Mirth or at the Table; Speak not of Melancholy Things as Death and Wounds, and if others Mention them Change if you can the Discourse tell not your Dreams, but to your intimate Friend.

63rd A Man o[ug]ht not to value himself of his Atchievements, or rare Qua[lities of wit; much less of his rich]es Virtue or Kindred.

64th Break not a Jest where none take pleasure in mirth Laugh not aloud, nor at all without Occasion, deride no mans Misfortune, tho’ there Seem to be Some cause.

65th Speak not injurious Words neither in Jest nor Earnest Scoff at none although they give Occasion.

66th Be not froward but friendly and Courteous; the first to Salute hear and answer & be not Pensive when it’s a time to Converse.

67th Detract not from others neither be excessive in Commanding.

68th Go not thither, where you know not, whether you Shall be Welcome or not. Give not Advice with[out] being Ask’d & when desired [d]o it briefly.

69th If two contend together take not the part of either unconstrain[ed]; and be not obstinate in your own Opinion, in Things indiferent be of the Major Side.

70th Reprehend not the imperfections of others for that belong[s] to Parents Masters and Superiours.

71st Gaze not on the marks or blemishes of Others and ask not how they came. What you may Speak in Secret to your Friend deliver not before others.

72nd Speak not in an unknown Tongue in Company but in your own Language and that as those of Quality do and not as the Vulgar; Sublime matters treat Seriously.

73rd Think before you Speak pronounce not imperfectly nor bring ou[t] your Words too hastily but orderly & distinctly.

74th When Another Speaks be attentive your Self and disturb not the Audience if any hesitate in his Words help him not nor Prompt him without desired, Interrupt him not, nor Answer him till his Speec[h] be ended.

75th In the midst of Discourse ask [not of what one treateth] but if you Perceive any Stop because of [your coming you may well intreat him gently] to Proceed: If a Person of Quality comes in while your Conversing it’s handsome to Repeat what was said before.

76th While you are talking, Point not with your Finger at him of Whom you Discourse nor Approach too near him to whom you talk especially to his face.

77th Treat with men at fit Times about Business & Whisper not in the Company of Others.

78th Make no Comparisons and if any of the Company be Commended for any brave act of Vertue, commend not another for the Same.

79th Be not apt to relate News if you know not the truth thereof. In Discoursing of things you Have heard Name not your Author always A [Se]cret Discover not.

80th Be not Tedious in Discourse or in reading unless you find the Company pleased therewith.

81st Be not Curious to Know the Affairs of Others neither approach those that Speak in Private.

82nd Undertake not what you cannot Perform but be Carefull to keep your Promise.

83rd When you deliver a matter do it without Passion & with Discretion, howev[er] mean the Person be you do it too.

84th When your Superiours talk to any Body hearken not neither Speak nor Laugh.

85th In Company of these of Higher Quality than yourself Speak not ti[l] you are ask’d a Question then Stand upright put of your Hat & Answer in few words.

86 In Disputes, be not So Desireous to Overcome as not to give Liberty to each one to deliver his Opinion and Submit to the Judgment of the Major Part especially if they are Judges of the Dispute.

87th Let thy carriage be such] as becomes a Man Grave Settled and attentive [to that which is spoken. Contra]dict not at every turn what others Say.

88th Be not tedious in Discourse, make not many Digressigns, nor rep[eat] often the Same manner of Discourse.

89th Speak not Evil of the absent for it is unjust.

90th Being Set at meat Scratch not neither Spit Cough or blow your Nose except there’s a Necessity for it.

91st Make no Shew of taking great Delight in your Victuals, Feed no[t] with Greediness; cut your Bread with a Knife, lean not on the Table neither find fault with what you Eat.

92nd Take no Salt or cut Bread with your Knife Greasy.

93rd Entertaining any one at table it is decent to present him wt. meat, Undertake not to help others undesired by the Master.

94th If you Soak bread in the Sauce let it be no more than what you [pu]t in your Mouth at a time and blow not your broth at Table [bu]t Stay till Cools of it Self.

95th Put not your meat to your Mouth with your Knife in your ha[nd ne]ither Spit forth the Stones of any fruit Pye upon a Dish nor Cas[t an]ything under the table.

96th It’s unbecoming to Stoop much to ones Meat Keep your Fingers clea[n &] when foul wipe them on a Corner of your Table Napkin.

97th Put not another bit into your Mouth til the former be Swallowed [l]et not your Morsels be too big for the Gowls.

98th Drink not nor talk with your mouth full neither Gaze about you while you are a Drinking.

99th Drink not too leisurely nor yet too hastily. Before and after Drinking wipe your Lips breath not then or Ever with too Great a Noise, for its uncivil.

100th Cleanse not your teeth with the Table Cloth Napkin Fork or Knife but if Others do it let it be done wt. a Pick Tooth.

101st Rince not your Mouth in the Presence of Others.

102nd It is out of use to call upon the Company often to Eat nor need you Drink to others every Time you Drink.

103rd In Company of your Betters be no[t longer in eating] than they are lay not your Arm but o[nly your hand upon the table].

104th It belongs to the Chiefest in Company to unfold his Napkin and fall to Meat first, But he ought then to Begin in time & to Dispatch [w]ith Dexterity that the Slowest may have time allowed him.

105th Be not Angry at Table whatever happens & if you have reason to be so, Shew it not but on a Chearfull Countenance especially if there be Strangers for Good Humour makes one Dish of Meat a Feas[t].

106th Set not yourself at the upper of the Table but if it Be your Due or that the Master of the house will have it So, Contend not, least you Should Trouble the Company.

107th If others talk at Table be attentive but talk not with Meat in your Mouth.

108th When you Speak of God or his Atributes, let it be Seriously & [wt.] Reverence. Honour & Obey your Natural Parents altho they be Poor.

109th Let your Recreations be Manfull not Sinfull.

110th Labour to keep alive in your Breast that Little Spark of Ce[les]tial fire Called Conscience.

Finis

behaviour

Tijuana North?

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There are countries and people who, when you see them on the 11 PM News, you know that the news is not going to be something you want to hear. So when Abbotsford’s Mayor Peary’s face appeared, I and many other citizens of Abbotsford braced ourselves to hear about City Council’s latest ill-fated decision.

It seems that Mayor Peary and his merry band of mis-adventurers do not want to participate in the large potential economic gains to be found in the fast growing Ultimate Fighting craze.

After all, being associated with a venture that will result in a cash flow into the city coffers, reducing the strain on taxpayer’s packets, is not what Abbotsford City Council is about.

City council is about committing the City of Abbotsford to ten years of assuming the multi-million dollar liability for a professional hockey team, subsidizing the ownership of that professional hockey team by hundreds of thousands (potentially millions) of dollars per year, subsidizing the travel of other professional hockey teams to/from Abbotsford and paying the million (or millions) of dollars per year it costs to operate the arena for the professional hockey. All paid out of taxpayer’s pockets.

Income for Tradex, possible future dates for the Sports and Entertainment Complex? No, chase any current and future business to Vancouver.

Oh, and in order to maximize the damage to Abbotsford reputation as a place to do business come up with an excuse about attracting gang members to this type of event, as if gangs would have no interest or would not attend the motorcycle or tattoo shows held at Tradex; or numerous other events (concerts, sports, etc) held in Abbotsford.

Because once started down the path of cancelling events gangs might (gasp!) attend where do you stop? Clearly cars, motorcycles, tattoos all have go. And concerts. Better start closing the weight rooms at ARC and MRC at 6PM because gang members are known to like to pump iron. Movies, have to delay the opening of new movies in Abbotsford until they have been playing for six weeks elsewhere or even limit movies shown in Abbotsford to documentaries and films for children. And so on, and so on ….

One also wants to have, when the press inevitably asks why it is OK to attract gangs with motorcycle or tattoo trade shows but not with an ultimate fighting trade show, a brilliant explanation such as “that’s different”.

With this one action Abbotsford City Council delivered a black eye to doing business with or in Abbotsford; an economic blow to Tradex and the Sports and Entertainment Complex – as if the Sports and Entertainment Complex needed further help from council to become more of a money devouring black hole; and confirmed Abbotsford as the laughing stock of the lower mainland.

Leaving the rest of Canada and the world with an image of Abbotsford as a city where gangs and violence are beyond the ability of the Abbotsford Police Department to control – Abbotsford as Tijuana north.

behaviour, Issues

Abbotsford 2010 Homeless Winter Games

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masthead

ABHOC Press Release – 1

February 14, 2010

Abbotsford Homeless Winter Games

Opening day of the 2010 Abbotsford Homeless Winter Games is February 16, 2010.

This date was set to allow time for the dissemination of the opening day of the 2010 Abbotsford Homeless Winter Games without drawing attention away from the recent opening ceremonies in Vancouver.

The timing of this release is out of consideration for all fellow British Columbians who have worked so hard on their performances in the opening ceremonies.

In light of the provincial government of BC’s decision to not only not increase Mental Health services, an increase that is badly needed, but to decrease Mental Health services in order to fund the Winter Olympics and in light of provincial government cutbacks and/or failure to address: BC leading the nation in child poverty; addictions treatment and recovery; BC having the highest cost of living and the lowest minimum wage; the fact $375 is inadequate to obtain safe secure housing in the province with the highest hosing costs in Canada; the need for more safe, healthy, affordable housing; the crisis in both the Health Care and Education systems; the growing poverty; the growing class system resulting from those who have and those who don’t have –

The Committee wants to stress that the decision on the timing was entirely due to consideration of fellow ordinary British Columbians.

Given the broken promises of social housing, developers and business shamelessly exploiting the Olympics to their own advantage, the impact of the Olympics on poor communities and nearby ecosystems, disrupted lives, the money and service losses it has cost, the invasion of community that accompanies games sites and transportation systems; that while the Olympics are a global phenomenon, the exploitation and marginalization that accompany them are rooted in an intimate local context: global spectacle, local debacle; the

Civil-liberty-threatening security and surveillance measures that the Olympics provide and excuse for, particularly the Charter violating Assistance to Shelter Act – the Committee would gladly use the opening ceremonies to warn communities contemplating holding the games of the unacceptable costs in tax dollars – not just that services provided by governments are forgone because ‘there is no money for them (because it was spent on the Olympics)’ but because of the cuts to services (e.g. health care) provided to citizens that are required as ‘there is not enough money (because it was spent on the Olympics) and we need to make service cuts and limit funding increases (so we will have enough to fund the Olympics – whatever the costs) –

The Committee would have been overjoyed to use the opening ceremonies to draw attention to the harsh realities of hosting the Olympics on ordinary citizens and particularly the poor and impoverished.

However after due consideration and in light of the fact that British Columbians, most notably the poor and those not well off, are facing substantial future burdens in addition to sacrifices already made the Committee affirmed its decision to wait until after the Vancouver opening ceremonies to announce the time, date and location of the opening ceremony for the Abbotsford Homeless Winter Olympics.

Valentines Day was deemed most appropriate as a release date because love, compassion and generosity of spirit are the keys not only to rich interpersonal relationships but to effectively addressing the issues of homelessness, recovery and poverty.

The Opening Ceremony commences at 12:15 PM Tuesday February 14, 2010 and reflects an overriding reality of life for the homeless and poor – hunger. To acknowledge and honour this reality the opening ceremony consists of the sharing of a simple meal, lunch at a local soup kitchen.

The Competition schedule and locations are not being widely distributed publicly as a result of security considerations – to prevent, or at least minimize, interference and disruption by politicians and their administration, imposition and enforcement cadres.

The Closing Ceremony is at 5 PM Thursday February 25, 2010. The Closing Ceremony again reflects hunger as an overriding reality of life for the homeless and poor. It also reflects the importance of those individuals who, seeing the hunger and the lack of leadership, understanding and compassion by politicians and other ‘leaders’ in the community and society have stepped forward to act. It was the unanimous opinion of ABHOC 2010 that the excellent repast served a Faith Bible Church on Thursdays was the apropos concluding location.

Media contact

ABHOC Communications

abhoc2010@gmail.com

***

ABHOC Press Release – 2

February 14, 2010

Abbotsford Homeless Winter Games – the events

The games reflect the realities of life for those living on the streets therefore:

[ There will be no official schedule of events or times publically released to prevent, or at least minimize, interference and disruption by politicians and their administration, imposition and enforcement cadres.

[ Given that being at the mercy and whims of the weather is one of the uncomfortable, on occasion fatal, realities of life for the homeless there will be no extraordinary measures taken (indoor venues, extraordinary snow moving) to force winter conditions or shield competitors or the Games from actual weather conditions.

Homeless Games – an overview.

The two events chosen to showcase the local state of affairs for the homeless in Abbotsford reflect the City of Abbotsford’s practice of dismantling the homes of the homeless during winter months, rather than summer months. This is done without regard for weather conditions, leaving a homeless man without shelter on the coldest night of last winter:

[ Obfuscation – the ability to conceal the home site. This event is a judged event with no time element considered. It is not based solely upon how or the degree to which the shelter is screened or masked. Judging criteria also consider the location in terms of likelihood of discovery; the ease of ingress and egress and the likelihood of movement to and from the site drawing attention and leading to the discovery of the site by authorities; access to necessities such as food, water, waste disposal, hygiene, services;

[ Relocation – the ability to tear down, move and set up. This event does encompass a consideration of time. However it also considers: the new site in terms of location and obfuscation; materials chosen in terms of weather, design and portability; the move itself in terms of time and ability to not draw attention to setting up the second site.

There will be the standard tests of homeless survival skills:

[ Can collection. As a major source of revenue the ability to collect and redeem cans is a significant survival tool. In the spirit of fair competition the competitors will be randomly assigned areas of the city to collect cans from. With the proviso that if a local competitor is drawn for an area that encompasses her/his usual collection area there will be a reassignment to ensure no unfair ‘home field’ advantage.

[ Cart events. Note: in order to promote a level playing field all carts will be scavenged on the day of the event, of the same specified type (i.e. Wal-mart, Superstore) and inspected to ensure no modifications or improvements have been made. All carts will be loaded with the same weight and materials.

o Distance. Since a cart often contains all a homeless person’s possessions they are a limiting factor on distance travelled, especially with ice, snow or slush on the ground, Thus the ability to cover distance as quickly as possible is a survival ability.

o Sprints. Because sometimes you just have to able to relocate to another area. If you cannot do it quickly pushing a cart you run the very real risk of having to abandon your belongings.

o Load out. The ability to properly load a cart is critical to the manoeuvrability of a cart. This is a judged event based on integral considerations such as weight distribution and center of gravity.

[ Health Care Obstacle Course

o Obtaining health care for the homeless (and others) although theoretically not a problem due to universal health care, the reality is that obtaining health care, particularly good health care is problematic, requiring guise and salesmanship. This is a judged event that will be run over the course of the entire games period.

[ Homeless Hobble

o Feet are nearly the only transportation mode available to the homeless. The exception being those homeless who are living in their automobiles who must move the vehicles daily or lose them to impound.

o Living homeless is very hard on the feet. Thus preventative foot care, first-aid/medical attention and skills to cope with foot/leg/mobility impairments is a necessary survival skill.

[ Marathon

o This is not a marathon in the traditional 42 km 195 m footrace. For the homeless and the poor marathon reflects the need to fill out form after form after form … ad infinitum. Yet one has no choice but to continue to plod through the pile of forms.

o Judging is based on correctness first, since a mistake must be corrected by the person filling out the forms and no further processing will take place until the error is corrected. Thus each error adds time to the time it takes to process the form(s). Time taken is secondary in judging since it is more important to be accurate than fast.

[ Steeplechase

o This event is related to the marathon but reflects the systems propensity to erect barriers and hoops for clients to have to climb over or jump through ad nauseum. Completeness, correctness and finesse are the important considerations here and time is again a secondary consideration.

[ Queuing. “It’s line up for this, line up for that!” “How’s that going for you?” “It’s orderly.” If you are homeless you must deal with the frequent need to line-up to obtain services, food, clothing etc. so a homeless person must invest significant time in lines.

o Best use of time while queuing. Again a judged event where judging has no pre-established criteria, but judging is spontaneous and reflective of the use time is put to by the competitors.

o Most creative use of time while queuing. A judged event where judging has no pre-established criteria, but judging is spontaneous and reflective of the use time is put to by the competitors.

These are the core events. A primary reality of life for the homeless and poor is unexpected variability. How the day was expected to go may well have nothing with how the day did in fact develop and go.

To reflect the ‘SURPRISE!’ factor in daily life the remaining events will be help on a random (hat draw) and spontaneous (feels like the right time) basis.

Media contact

ABHOC Communications

abhoc2010@gmail.com

***

ABHOC Press Release – 3

February 14, 2010

Abbotsford Homeless Winter Games – the competitors

All events are open to all homeless without regard to sex, ethnicity, colour, creed or any other criteria used to divide into US and THEM. Homelessness plays no favourites nor discriminates, neither do these games.

It is anticipated that competitors from third world and/or developing nations will be extremely limited as poverty denies one the ability to travel.

It is anticipated that competitors from the more enlightened developed countries will be limited as a result of national housing policies and reasonable social safety nets.

It is anticipated that the foreign country with the most competitors will be the United States  as a result of proximity and that its social organizing principle is greed.

With no national housing strategy and federal Conservative policies creating and increasing poverty in Canada, there are tens of thousands of Canadian Homeless to draw up as competitors.

Unfortunately for the homeless, with the nonsensical Housing and Social Development policies of BC’s Liberal government, most notable the unliveable Income Assistance levels and policies there are a plethora of local people who qualify to compete in the Homeless Games.

wolfspearJ

For the homeless winter is not about winter sports. It is about:

Scrambling to find shelter on those nights that lack of adequate shelter can be life threatening.

Those interrelated needs of food and bedding/clothing. Food for the calories to burn through the long, cold, wet nights. Bedding/clothing to minimize heat loss and preserve calorie reserves in order to survive the nights.Struggling to jump through the hoops and over the barriers that the nattering nabobs of negativism in the social (un)assistance system of Housing and Social Development delight in raising.

In for the long haul, endurance, striving to put one foot in front of the other and struggling forward when it feels as though you are carrying a 100 Kg load on your back. The advantage the pampered athletes of VANOC have is that they know were the finish line is. The homeless have no idea where the objective (employment, shelter, food, recovery) they struggle to reach lies. Only that it is somewhere in front of them.

An intricate survival dance performed daily, balancing food, shelter, clothing, bedding, weather conditions, police harassment, bathing, drinking water, bureaucratic idiocy, transportation, etc. Not to mention job searching, resume submission, cover letters, coping with the lack of a phone (which the government claims is unneeded for finding employment!), finding computer access for job searching and applications, etc.

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A few words on the subject of all homeless are addicts – that is wrong. The members of ABHOC 2010 who were or are homeless were or are homeless as a result of issues other than addiction. Governments of all levels in Canada are making it increasing easier for citizens with no complicating factors but poverty to end homeless and on the streets of the city in which they had once been housed and ‘respectable’ citizens of.

Consider the number of athletes at the Olympics who are caught using performance enhancing drugs. They are using drugs to win in order to gain victory and avoid dealing with defeat and doing the hard work that dealing healthily and constructively with failing to win.

The homeless are using their choice of drugs to deal with issues they want to avoid dealing with and to avoid doing the hard work that dealing healthily and constructively with their issues.

Now consider the mindset of citizens of BC and their fellow Canadians vis-à-vis the Olympics.

It is a mindset focused only of the short term and thinking only of what feels good right now, ignoring the consequences of actions taken or being taken in its enthusiastic pursuit of that feels good high. It is the mindset of an addict.

In becoming a society seeking instant gratification, a society that takes the easy way out without regard to cost, Canada has become a society whose behaviours grow ever more similar to those individuals in our society who struggle with an addiction to mind altering substances

Media contact

ABHOC Communications

abhoc2010@gmail.com

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Addiction, behaviour, Consider, Issues

Penny Jodway Plaque

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I, I, I, I …

I have no idea what resentments Sharon Ross is holding onto so firmly that she is so agitated over the plaque placed in Penny’s memory. I do however know that the plaque was arranged and paid for by those who knew Penny. The plaque is not about whether there was honour in Penny’s life, but about the fact that people who knew Penny felt the need to honour their memories of Penny as a person, flaws and all.

Ergo, if Ms. Ross truly seeks an answer as to why there is a plaque for Penny and not to herself, she must seek the answer to that ‘why’ in her mirror, in herself.

Penny was not a saint and never claimed to be. Hence the questions: What was it about Penny that people who knew her for who and what she was thought enough of her to place a plaque in her memory? What is it about Ms Ross that that people who know her for who she is didn’t think enough of her to place a plaque?

Ms Ross might want to consider what it reflects that she is upset and complains about having to clean out the alcove rather than about the fact that a human being, a flawed and troubled human being, had to spend the nights in that alcove.

Or the pettiness and meanness contained in her comments on Penny’s son struggling with the scourge of addiction. While only a parent in similar circumstances can understand the pain of a child’s addiction, any human with empathy can understand just why “she wanted to keep young people off the street.”

Perhaps if Ms Ross would stop being judgmental and seek understanding, she would know that complaints about large amounts of taxpayer dollars being spent ineffectually trying to address a health issue through the legal system rather than the health system, should be directed to provincial and federal politicians.

Penny may not have been a saint but she never begrudged someone else what they had or got; accepting personal responsibility, not whining about, what havoc and pain her choices reaped upon her life.

A good look in the mirror and contemplation may enlighten Ms Ross to the fact that the plaque was not about honouring working on a corner downtown but honouring the effect Penny had upon those who knew her and honouring their memories of Penny.

Original Letter: http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/opinion/letters/82640222.html

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Actually Mr. Scheirer it is your letter and your words that exemplify certain facets of what is wrong with our community.

Not everything that is wrong since ‘everything that is wrong’ covers a wide variety of human weaknesses, behaviours and sins.

The legacy of despair and destruction, of the way your neighbourhood is, does not belong to Penny Jodway. It belongs to you, your neighbours and the many other citizens of Abbotsford, British Columbia and Canada  who, in order to protect their ideology and beliefs, see what they want to see.

Unfortunately REALITY does not give a damn about ideology or beliefs, it just is.

It is the chaos that arises from within the differences between the factual reality that IS and the delusional reality our ideology and beliefs bring forth that IS NOT that brings about the issues and problems we are challenged by as Canadians.

It is understandable why those employed as the agency that enforced prohibition would wish to protect their livelihoods by finding a new ‘demon’ to pursue when prohibition ended in 1933. It is also understandable why, given lack of knowledge and experience, the public would buy into this demonization of other drugs as ‘demon rum’ was demonized to bring about prohibition.

Given our 80 years of experience with the futility of trying to address the issue of mind altering substances by waging war upon those who fall under the influence of mind altering substances; our knowledge and understanding of addiction as a health and mental health issue; we have only ourselves to blame for pursuing a course of action that attempts to solve a medical issue with the legal system instead of the health system.

It is choosing to ignore the reality that addiction is a health care issue in favour of pursuing the illusions many want to be, that effective actions do not get taken and ineffective actions are repeated over and over well past the point of insanity.

It is in our stubborn refusal to learn from the lessons in Penny’s life (and far too many other lives) that what is wrong with our community not only lies but thrives in. It is this stubborn refusal to learn from a reality we simply don’t like because it challenges or contradicts ideologies and/or beliefs that condemns us to repeat mistakes and have problems such as poverty, homelessness and addiction grow.

It is our own choices that prevent us addressing and dealing with these problems.

Penny Jodway was merely an evidentiary symptom, not a cause.

Original Letter:

http://www2.canada.com/abbotsfordtimes/news/letters/story.html?id=e91434da-29ca-453f-81f2-2f73fa08c049

behaviour, Issues, Municipal, Snafu

Where’s the Homeless Housing?

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WHERE’S the HOUSING?

That is the question on the lips of the homeless after reading the “Homeless in the City” series of articles.

They had thought that ‘being homeless’ referred to those without housing, rather than ‘homeless’ referring to those who did not own their own homes.

The Harmony Flex Housing Development is about OWNERSHIP, about making home ownership a viable option for those whose income is not sufficient to achieve home ownership without the favourable terms associated with this development.

While we need to find innovative ways to make home ownership affordable for more people …… those who this development will enable to own their home are currently housed and not on or in danger of finding themselves on the streets of Abbotsford.

The Harmony Flex Housing Development has and continues to take time and attention away from the urgent, critical need for housing for the homeless, those who are on their way to homelessness and those in danger of becoming homeless.

Should the churches and others listen to Councillor Smith and focus on this type of development it would be to the detriment of the people in need of safe, healthy affordable housing.

The priority for housing is, as it has been for years: for minimal barrier housing for those with addiction and mental health issues and those just plain hard to house because they are who they are; for supportive transitional housing for all those coming out of treatment in order to break the cycle of relapse/treatment/relapse; for supportive housing that is stable and long term for those (brain injury, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome etc) who need continued support to thrive.

Contrast the effort and speed of getting homeownership housing built for those who are home(ownership)less with the years of excuse making the homeless living on streets of Abbotsford have faced on housing.

It is excuse making. Half the people voted against Plan A but council bulled ahead because they were determined to build Plan A. Council found land, money and when projects were over budget, council found more money; council wanted to build Plan A and, to *bleep* with the consequences they did.

If council had a desire to build affordable housing for the homeless rather than form a committee and pay lip-service to building housing for the homeless, then we would have built and be building affordable housing for the homeless and those in need and the homeless would not, year after year after year, be asking:

WHERE’S the HOUSING?