Quote:
Originally Posted by pylon
Yes, drug addicts can be an annoyance. But you can be annoyed and have empathy at the same time.
You have to remember, that 'crackhead' didn't invent crack, most likely comes from a family situation where they were born to lose, and are more of a victim of the drug, than the random passerby's that have to deal with the panhandling and mental illness.
They've broken into cars on our lot, stolen stuff, bathed in our washrooms, and I am usually the one tasked with evicting them. They know they have a problem, they know the world hates them, and I can frikking guarantee you, if they could reverse time, each and every one of them, would have avoided that first hit that got them hooked. I remove them with as much empathy and as much dignity as I can.
I am not particularly PC on most issues. But on this one perhaps my outlook is slightly skewed as I have had friends and family get caught in the grasp of addiction and have lost a few people close to me where it spiralled too far out of control. The only advice I can give, is that in almost every scenario, if you ask them to move along, they will. They usually mean nobody harm, they are just looking for a way to get 10 bucks for that next hit.
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I think you'd have a tough time finding any of us who haven't known people who have been affected by these hard drugs. I've been to two funerals for ODs...one of which was for an immediate family member.
Since reversing time isn't an option and we're - as the sober ones - tasked with wandering around cleaning up their messes and paying for their BS, I'd like a seat at the table when discussing how we fix this and I'm officially done with safe injection sites and all the other crap that doesn't work.
I'm 100% onboard with marsplasticeraser's plan. May have even prevented me from having to dress up for those funerals had there been some place for the people I knew to go.
But yeah, there is harm. These aren't just 'aww shucks I'm just your average joe down on his luck and I'm a nice guy if you just give me a chance' issues. These people are terrorizing our public spaces and I'm sick of it.