here!I can't believe it, but it's pretty cool.
About 2 months to a few years ago, I was dreading this, because of how insane and crazy it was going to be downtown. But last night I actually was downtown, and in fact I was walking in the core of the insanity, and might I say, I loved it. The feeling of everyone's positive energy, seeing nothing but smiles on people's faces - and of course the obnoxiously loud cheering - made me feel so proud to call Vancouver my home. I mean, how often does this kind of shit happen in your own hometown?
Not very often.
Another thing that is crazy though, are the protesters - those protesting for the homeless situation, the lack of housing, and the general problems that Vancouver is facing now, as well as the money spent on the Olympic Games and the events that are tied with it. I can understand their reasons for protesting, hell, I might have even joined them a few years back, but now they're in a lot of people's black books, and I can see why. They've been protesting for ages, and the group has only grown bigger, but is it necessary for them to ruin a good party? Also, they've vandalized store fronts and the city centre, and even smashed a few windows - aren't they supposed to protest for the sake of the community? How are they helping if they are destroying it? I agree fully with them however, that the government and VANOC has spent way too much money on this. Money that could definitely be used to help with the ever-growing homelessness that is the Downtown Eastside, Vancouver's infamous lack of housing, as well as the recent slashes in Arts funding which I am definitely not appreciating.
But on another note - if you were to think that the Canadian government has spent all of this money on a very large cultural event - then what about all of the money spent by the American government on the war in the Middle East? That not only cost American tax payers, but that also cost many lives.
But on another note - if you were to think that the Canadian government has spent all of this money on a very large cultural event - then what about all of the money spent by the American government on the war in the Middle East? That not only cost American tax payers, but that also cost many lives.
It's a sad story for protesters, because they end up being the black sheep, though their intentions are for good causes. The things that protesters "protest" are usually those that abide by the law, that are drawn-out peacefully, and do not physically or directly hurt people - but the "radical" protesters then end up being those who cause riots, vandalism, and sometimes even violence. Of course there are the peaceful protesters, which sometimes may go unnoticed. Protests have of course proven to cause change, if not international awareness; I would think China and Iran as examples of great youth movements.
Sometimes I think of protests like wars. Wars do not end on the battlefield, but instead, they end with treaties and agreements - often occurring between some important leaders, a piece of paper, and a fountain pen.
I really do hope that the protests in Vancouver don't cause physical harm to people, because that, in my eyes, would change everything. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
Protests aside, I think this is going to be a very exciting and awesome two weeks - I can't see why I shouldn't go out everyday to soak it all in!
