Raise the Hammer

Please explain what the differences really are between the two eras.

The difference between poverty in Canada now and in Britain in the 19th century? You mean aside from the things we have now like welfare, health care, social workers, the foster-care system, comprehensive public education, government support for college and universities, publicly-assisted housing, garbage collection, public fire service? At moment, nothing really comes to mind.

As for Eat the Math - it's not relevant; it's a publicity stunt. How many people on welfare or among the working poor would have to resort to eating only food bank rations?

The Code Red series is exposing real problems that most of don't see and that more of us should think about. That so much of this sort of human misery should exist in such a rich country is simply wrong. But as a North-end physician said to me this week, "you could give me millions of dollars and I could not fix the problems I see everyday."

By saying "poverty" over and over as they march the parade of misery past us, The Spec certainly make it sound as if a lack of money is the core problem. But when they're not throwing shocking statistics at us without context* they're telling us some revealing stories about teen mothers, about nurses, about addicts, about drop outs. And the stories help us see past the numbers to the people - people who are living in poverty, people who are getting on their feet, people who are really helping.

Maybe we'll learn something. And maybe as individuals and as a city we will do things differently so that fewer people live so miserably in our rich country.

* "47% of births were low-weight births!" In Flamborough. Wait - Flamborough? They've been held up as paragons of health-care outcome. No more said?

Comment edited by moylek on 2010-04-13 06:37:47