Blazing Cat Fur has an interesting read on the “right to be a bum” in Vancouver, BC.  Apparently:

…a complaint has been filed with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of Junkies & Drunks…

The complaint alleges the guards hired by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and known as “downtown ambassadors,” unfairly harass addicts and limit their access to public spaces.

Basically this boils down to the supposed right of the homeless to behave in ways that no other citizen is allowed to behave.  Admittedly, there is already a great deal of leniency in our treatment of the homeless, which in my humble opinion only leads to a further divide between the transiets and society at large.  Treat them with undue pity and give them “extra” rights and you create citizens that live outside the framework of society.  It’s not healthy, or smart.

I lived in Vancouver, BC for two years.  My wife and I honey-mooned there.  I think it’s a lovely city, but they have to do something about their homeless and their addicts.  There are parts of that beautiful city that are downright frightening to walk through.

Eowyn, of Shooting Star, brought up a good point–I like it especially because I have been thinking about Rudy lately…

Before Rudy Giuliani became mayor of New York City, homeless people were running amok. Sleeping anywhere, whizzing anywhere, accosting people, you name it. It had been like that for several years. Within a year of his taking office, Rudy cleaned up that problem but good. How? He told the cops to move ‘em along, and move ‘em along they did. Problem largely solved.

Just another reason I miss Rudy Giuliani, and wish he was our GOP candidate.  I was really depressed when he took such a beating, and havn’t altogether recovered.  Certainly the enthusiasm I felt for Rudy did not cross over to McCain!

C’est la vie.

Kain's major subjects of focus at NeoConstant are international strategy; support of Israel; the failure of the international community to stop genocide; the spread of American power and democracy; historical analysis; and current events both domestically and abroad. He writes here, Newsvine and his blog, IndiePundit.