Aggressive Homeless

[kgcayenne]

When the GCampbell government shut down the mental health residential facilities, the mentally ill who cannot fend for themselves were added to the already burdened social support system. He gave B.C. corporate & personal tax reductions and had to reduce spending somewhere. We have all essentially been paid-off to deal with it in our neighbourhoods and our city’s downtown now. How do ya like the tax break, kids?

[Catsumi]

If you should forget your handbag, camera or jacket, they will find you to return it, with huge smiles seeing the relief in your face.

I have heard this many times about the Japanese and always wondered if it was fairy tale. It's an interesting summation of a much more selfless community. It sounds nice.

Would like to remind folks that a lot of homeless people are homeless due to their inability to communicate effectively due to illness (self-inflicted or not). A great amount are also products of bad situations that arise out of poor ethical treatment and racism - or in a more general sense, mismanagement. (see: First-nations in North America)

I don't mean to say persons should be "managed" so much as I am saying government has a big piece.

Canada and Japan spend very similar amounts on per-capita social-welfare year after year, with Japan often ahead of Canada. You could argue it's a much more deep-rooted social advancement. I love it!

Thanks so much for reading my post re Japan in this thread (lots more in Canada, tatty flags). Yes, it is exactly like a fairy tale visiting there, the difference between night/day.

The acts of kindness, politeness and genuine concern for others by the Japanese I do not see as a selfless act, but rather of supreme selfishness. The joy you give to others by concern for their safety and belongings comes right back to you as you and your family enjoy the same. What a payoff!

Here, in recent history, that feeling of safety has left Canadians.....repeated robberies, Court decisions that defy logic, enabled drug use and resulting ballooning problems associated with, loss of personal safety when outside of home (and even inside where B&E artists or home invasions, beatings, robberies also happen). We are seeing our social fabric being torn to pieces and should we not reverse this trend very soon, it will become the norm where no one objects anymore.

I wish I could take all of you who are interested in seeing how things could be (and have been) for a visit to Japan. It's like learning to breathe again.