Advocating is not new. Actually it’s been around for centuries, speaking publicly about particular causes or policies that you may or may not be for or against but hold dear to yourself. Only in the recent decades has it been put on the fore front further because of the fact that you have the entire world virtually at your fingertips. With the positive sides there is also the negative, amplified in rotten behaviors and bullying anyone with apposing views from anyone, including these self proclaimed advocates. Be warned, if this blog seems to be more of a rant or one sided. It is. I’ve been a target of advocates who don’t like when I question their motives. Including asking for transparency.
You’ll notice this photo I choose to highlight. These are advocates. In particular these are advocates for homeless people and drug addicts. This situation happened in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. Community members were finding needles and other drug paraphanalia around the play grounds and parks. A group of concerned citizens decided to do a peaceful March along the main drag in Sackville. A March for the safety of our families and how the town had changed for the worse. And Yes, that sign someone is holding, an advocate is holding, says “No bigots in Sackville”. A community fighting for the safety to be returned and is now being called names because why? This is one of those tactics that they take. Belittling and bullying others whom they haven’t even listened to their full message instead only choosing particular bits and pieces to suit their narrative.
The problem with a lot of advocates is that they are very short sighted. For example. Homeless advocates, they try and fight for public housing. They believe that everyone should have a roof over their head regardless if they want to take responsibilities for their own lives and be a contributing member of society if they are able to or if they want to sit on their asses and mooch their entire lives. Sounds great right? Wrong. Many of these people who are actually homeless have multiple issues and are unable to properly care for their homes. Don’t believe me? These photos below are from a local non profit who had used donated funds to house homeless individuals when their encampment was removed. Click here to see more photos on my public Facebook post regarding this. See the property damage? You know what happened when this was put out into the community to see? Excuses or completely ignoring the questions about how they (Homeless Advocates who Formed a Non Profit) allowed this to happen to an unsuspecting Air BNB host to see their accommodations destroyed. Instead advocates should be fighting for base level help, therapy, or homes with supports so that people can learn skills to live and be able to care for themselves and property properly. Without addressing these issues the chance of them being homeless again is high due to the lack of skills needed to stay out of homelessness.
Advocates who are often times ruthless in insulting anyone with differing views are Safe Supply advocates. If you missed the previous blog, it talks about how safe supply isn’t actually all as cracked up to be. While they want to say safe supply is amazing for the addict communities across the country, never do they ever state the country should be funding more detox or rehabs. Which I truly believe if someone was an addict and were given opportunity to live clean, I mean a genuine opportunity with steps along the way, not a throw in detox for a few weeks than back on the streets, but a REAL chance. Most people would want to choose this route instead of injection after injection. Lets not forget how safe supplies is yet another thing addicts can use by this being a mode of currency to obtaining their drug of choice. Meanwhile communities with these legal drug dens are facing the fallout with needles being found in their children’s playgrounds and school yards. Keep in mind also, diabetics don’t get the free needles that programs like these that cater to addicts do, they pay for their needles and they also regularly keep their dirty needles in the sharps containers that are available at pharmacies for free.
What’s even more alarming is a vast majority of advocates have 0 issues with calling people names, bullying and bashing due to differing opinions. However, whenever someone stands up for their safety as a community, advocates use every word in their arsenal becoming the bully. Thus transforming to some of the names they in turn regularly call others.
As seen in Halifax a major concern also is in regards to advocates attempting to take the place of paid employees. This is mostly in regards to the homeless advocates downtown Halifax. They are essentially attempting to be volunteer street navigators pushing the city street navigators to the sides while they are the paid employees with resources to actually help people off the streets. Looking for their moment to prove to the world that they are helping even if only in their own minds. As reported via multiple community members in a situation where a person was advocating against employed street navigators prolonging a couple on the street longer because they were unable to use the proper channels to obtain housing. Which all stems to the blog where I mention many people in these “helping” fields aren’t as qualified as they once were due to the demanding work environment, elevated stress as well as high turn over rate of employees. Thus making the quality of care substantially lower than it once was.
Don’t just take my word though. Seriously. Look a bit deeper at your community pages, local groups and different situations and how people fighting for safe playgrounds and schools are met with the few toxic and unhinged people in comments of posts online. I doubt you would have to look very far!
Stacey J. Girard 