the Downtown Eastside Needs to Be Destroyed

The Downtown Eastside needs to be destroyed. The more residents who are pushed out, the better. It is unconscionable that such a hellhole should exist in a province as wealthy as B.C., in a country as advanced as Canada.

I mean, why bother trying to salvage an important historical part of Vancouver when it’s full of untouchables?  Really, if they wanted to change wouldn’t they at least *try* to help themselves?  I say we just bring in the wrecking balls and get rid of it once and for all.  It’s not like Vancouver would be the first place to rewrite their history.  Even great countries like Italy, Germany & the Soviet Union had leaders who thought it was a good idea, as recently as the 1930s & 40s.

*SLAP*

Mr. Baron please get what I’m sure is a head full of $50 hair products out of your manscaped ass.  Is the DTES my favourite place in the city?  No.  But I do know that it has been a vital part of Vancouver’s history, and doesn’t deserve to be torn down.  Nor do the residents deserve to be painted with the same “homeless druggie” brush.  I’ve known many people to live there, as it’s one of the few places everyday people can still afford in the city, all of whom love it.  

Allowing gentrification isn’t going to solve the problems long ignored by our government.  We need to get back our mental health programs.  We need to stop allowing other provinces to ship their homeless people out west during cold weather months.  We need to make prostitution safer so that we never experience women going missing for decades before someone notices again.  And we need to have some of that compassion our country is so known for around the world for those people in our backyards.

You see Mr. Baron, as “wealthy” as our country may be, not all of us have the luxury of dropping a cool mill on a 600 sq ft condo.  In fact many of us are living month to month just scraping by.  You may even know some of us yourself, we’re really good at blending in.  We look just like you, we just don’t wear eau de asshole.

Maybe if people stopped busying themselves with asking if Vancouver is a “fun city” and took a moment to grow the fuck up, some of these things could be resolved.

Sincerely, 

Your Fellow Resident