A solution from someone who gives a spit
Vancouver police are ticketing residents of the Downtown Eastside for violations such as spitting on the street and jaywalking [Straight Talk, January 29–February 5]. Some have identified this campaign as intended to clean up the area in advance of the Olympics.
Those of us who object to any such cleansing need to do something. I propose that we remember the sit-in protests of the ’60s and gather at Hastings and Main to participate in a spit-in. An aggressive advance publicity campaign can ensure that many police officers will be transferred from less-important matters—such as dealing with the current state of gang warfare in our city—to maintain law and order at our demonstration. Then individuals can spit on the street, be ticketed (insisting on this, if necessary), refuse to pay the consequent fine, and clog up the courts while being forbidden to pass through the Main and Hastings intersection until after the Games have finished.
Of course, spitting on the street is a nasty habit, and many of the earnest social activists who would attend the demonstration would be reluctant to add to the sidewalk mess. I say that we must be ready to sacrifice our qualms to further the cause. Those who really can’t bring themselves to expectorate in public can jaywalk instead—carefully, of course.
> Doug Whitfield / Vancouver
Comments
1 Comments
MysTerri
Feb 26, 2009 at 12:42pm
MysTerri - A Spit-In is a good idea. Certainly police could and SHOULD spend their workforce wisely in tackling gang violence. It would be more than I could hope for however, for Gangcouverites to realize what THE major issue is that is facing the city today, missing young men.
Yes women are still going missing too, but it is young men who are being targeted. These young men are not gangsters, but are healthy and not addicted to harmful substances. They are being targeted for the value of their organs (about $100,000 worth of good organs per young man, women's organs net a bit less). Legalizing drugs will stop much of the gang violence, but will lull the city into (what it does best) ignoring missing people.