I am getting so fed up with hearing the anti-homeless and poor-bashing rhetoric both in the news and from people writing hateful opinion pieces in local newspapers.
Some people seem to think that the media give camp activists what they want and never talk about the “against” side. Really? Most news reports and opinion pieces about Camp Namegans bash camp residents and perpetuate negative stereotypes against poor and homeless people.
As a taxpayer, business owner and someone who owns and lives in a property near the camp, I fully support the use of Regina Park as a camp for homeless folks. Have the people criticizing and bashing the camp actually bothered to go there and meet the residents? I have, many times, and all the people I have met there have been nothing but lovely.
People have to stop assuming that all taxpayers have an issue with tent cities, or that residents of tent cities don’t pay taxes (that’s inaccurate). How about growing some compassion and doing some research on the many factors that actually affect homelessness (such as lack of affordable housing, stagnating wages, inadequate disability compensation, etc.) instead of spreading hate?
Gaëlle Nicolussi
Saanich
