#discremination

Ain’t I a women?

Warning: A Rant. I am so SICK of judgment, division, and racism. I miss Commercial Drive. I’m still awaiting the perfect opportunity to move back there before I make the big leap and buy myself a place in White Rock in the very distant future. I miss going out on Saturday’s and walking to Donald’s Market, then going further down the road to pick up sage from A Small World, before meandering down further to pick up fresh pasta from First Ravioli Store, perhaps some Nag Champa and handmade incents from Paranada, or back when I ate meat, I’d stop to buy myself an organic free-range chicken from Pasture to Plate. The best part of Commercial Drive, though? It’s diversity. I miss Italian Days, and Car Free Block Parties, the excitement and randomness of parades going by my house during World Cup, the numerous protests that would march by and clog the streets and would cause my heart to swell with love for my community. I also had myself a little family on The Drive, a group of soulful individuals with whom I could discuss anything from politics to spirituality with. While I don’t see them as often as I’d like to anymore, in the Summer of 2011, when I was free from the chains of a 9-to-5 and was doing nothing more than living, you could often find me at JJ Beans, on the corner of 6th and Commercial, sitting, laughing, and talking with likeminded folk, who wouldn’t and couldn’t judge nor hurt a fly. They are a welcoming, all-encompassing group of souls who have taught me so much in life. When I heard about the complaints, and read the article by CBC, I was mortified, angered, frustrated, and disgusted. Not only for the fact that the complaints negate any sort of feelings I had in regards to the beauty of Commercial Drive, but I’m just really bothered with the fact that they specifically pointed out that it is mostly Africans and Jamaicans who hang out on that corner, before mentioning drugs, drug dealing and also say "That causes issues with our neighbours just from the number of people who are gathered around and people feeling unprotected walking through large groups of people."… Two blocks away is one of the largest transit hubs in North America, where large groups of people are gathered around A&W and Blenz almost all hours of the day. Why doesn’t this threaten the neighbors? I don’t live around on The Drive anymore, but when I did, I also recall a huge group of transient street kids, who would sit on the bridge over the train tracks, one block from JJ Beans. They too would smoke weed, while fishing for change. If this is still occurring, why doesn’t this threaten the neighbors? I understand it is a residential area, and that everyone there has a right to feel safe in their own community… however, that is just it. It is a community. Commercial Drive has always been known for being such an eclectic all encompassing, all welcoming community. At least I thought it was, and that is why I love that neighborhood. This whole issue is simply fear driven. People fear what they don’t know. It would be different if it was a criminal group, or there were a legitimate reasons to feel threatened- but there isn’t. The people who hang out on that corner are such gentle souls and just want to be a part of a community themselves. Whomever made this an issue, is fearful of what they don’t know, and should try and get to know the people in their community instead of isolating certain groups, creating divisions, and further instilling fear in future generations by ridiculous accusations that are discriminatory in nature and on the cusp of being racist.

Unfinished poem I wrote about my feelings on the Trayvon killing...