PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Re: 鈥�,鈥� May 18, 2017
There鈥檚 no particular reason for the police to get special treatment and recognition in an event like Pride, other than our ingrained deference to uniforms. It鈥檚 a profession, not a community.
鈥揅itizen Five
I am so happy the police want to be in, and will be in the parade in uniform again as they have been for many years now. What progress from the era when the police viewed the protests that preceded the parades as something to be controlled and quelled.
鈥揅hristopher Koene
I don鈥檛 blame them for not wanting an armed paramilitary force at a parade. It begs the question, why are the police armed to the teeth here anyways? The UK seems to manage just fine with unarmed police. Meanwhile we have armed thugs riding ATVs on our beaches pouring out people鈥檚 beers.
鈥揕yle Wagner
As a queer POC [person of colour], the presence of the police as an institution, regardless of queer people on the force, strikes a real palpable fear in me. I鈥檝e witnessed many times where queer POC have been victimized by the VPD; had they been white, without a doubt they would have been treated differently. Why do they strongly feel they need to be represented in the parade when they have, over the years, inflicted such violence and mistreatment on our community, and continue to do so? Also, over the years, the Pride Parade has been very exclusionary to those who are POC, indigenous, trans, even bi. The rainbow flag may fly high and proud, but remember that rainbow isn鈥檛 very kind or accepting of our POC queer/trans brothers and sisters.
鈥揓ay Catterson
HOUSING CRISIS HITS HOME
Re: 鈥溾��,鈥� May 18, 2017
I just finished reading the听Westender鈥檚 review of听No Fixed Address. I haven鈥檛 seen it yet, but it does seem like a much needed analysis of the current 麻豆传媒映画housing crisis. However, I found some of Mr. Wikinson鈥檚 comments quite condescending. For example, 鈥淲e are still at the spot where we just don鈥檛 really get it yet.鈥� Really? Well, rest assured, Mr. Wilkinson, as someone who has been renovicted twice in the past eight years and is now paying 80 per cent of her income for an apartment, I certainly get it all too well. I also get the fact that, at 70 years old, I will be forced to leave the city I was born and raised in, and have to relocate to some little town in BC where I know absolutely no one, simply because I can no longer afford to live in 麻豆传媒映画anymore. The city I love so much has become nothing more than a homage to speculation and greed. Sadly, the time to save 麻豆传媒映画came and went a long time ago.
鈥揚atty Sudan
BUS FUSS
I am running very short of patience with the younger folks getting on the buses with your big back packs on your back hitting everyone sitting in the face as you wend your way to the back of the bus, only to stand in the back exit doors on your cell phones blocking anyone from getting off. It鈥檚 literally a fight to get past you to get off the bus, and even then, you鈥檙e oblivious as to what鈥檚 going on around you. Please, get off your cell phones and get your backpacks off your backs and carry them in front of you and stand clear of the back exit doors. Show some respect for the rest of the passengers your travelling with. This is not your private space! A reminder, also, that the front seats are for passengers with needs and the elderly. Read the signs. If you see an elder person getting on, get out of your seat and offer it to them. You鈥檒l be old one day, too.
鈥揃ill Mooney
鈥� All rants and raves are the opinion of the individual and do not reflect the opinions of Westender. The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity and brevity, so please keep it short and (bitter)sweet. Email your rant or rave to [email protected]
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