Canada is advertised as one of the best countries to live in. Health care, stable government, stable and diverse economy, open to immigration, and safe. Those are some undeniable truths about my homeland.
Unfortunately, Canada remains much too passive in regards to mental health, substance abuse, and poverty.
Canadians accept having people with mental illness and substance abuse problems roam the streets while getting themselves and others in all sorts of trouble even though these same people are so disabled they do not have the capacity to get necessary treatment on their own.
Recently, a friend of mine passed away. Alone, drinking being the last and only thing which kept her going is ironically what killed her.
In Canada, a life such as that is seen as fine. Not healthy, and not what most what want for themselves, but since she was quiet, paid her rent, and wasn't a nuisance to others, that was plenty.
In Vancouver alone, thousands live on the street. What do they get? Ignored, either by soulless individuals who consider the homeless lazy, or by the truly ignorant who (choose to not know) by convincing themselves and others that they "don't know what to do".
Thousands more live empty lives, lonely, doing what is expected regardless of how they feel about it. When they express their disenchantment, they get rewarded with criticism of how they are "ungrateful".
Canada is a country of abundance. A country rich in fresh water, beautiful forests, mountains, bordering three oceans. Yet when it comes to people, Canadians settle for their fellow neighbours to basically survive. If they are happy or not, healthy or not is irrelevant. As long as one pays the bills and isn't a nuisance they're a good citizen.
This attitude of simply settling and having no genuine interest in the improvement in the lives of society's people is shameful.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury was an NHL star in the late 80's and through the 90's. He was known as one of the feistiest and hardest working players. Being only 5'5", he was the smallest player in a league known for it's physicality and violence.
On the ice he was regularly seen antagonizing opponents with his relentless play, but also with his mouth, "yapping" at others.
Off the ice, he had a reputation as a bad boy who drank a lot and rumours of drugs followed him.
In 1997, Graham James, Fleury's former coach at the junior level was convicted of more than 350 incidents of sexual abuse involving at least two former Swift Current players and served three years in prison.
Fleury never came forward as being a player James molested until now.
Fleury's autobiography "Playing with fire" is coming out next week. In it he talks openly and graphically about the abuse James inflicted on him and how it has affected him to this day.
Why am I talking about this? Am I pimping Fleury's book? No, Theo's story is just all too common.
Not necessarily the the sexual abuse (although that is rampant is all spheres of society), but rather how he was left to himself, and no one was interested in his reality.
I'm just as guilty as anyone else, as a hockey fan, I loved his enthusiasm on the ice, and learning of his off ice indiscretions was always funny.
There's nothing funny about Theo Fleury's life, and having gone through depression, I share the pain, emptiness, and loneliness he lives. Circumstances are very different, but the feelings of uselessness are wearily similar.
People loved Theo for his on-ice prowess, for his "manliness" of partying, but when he crossed the line (by the same others definition), they bailed on him. We fans, his team, the league gave up on the trouble-making Theo.
Now he's clean, sober, and freeing himself (very publicly) of horrors he's carried for over 20 years, and we love him (personally, I find that rather hypocritical since we weren't there when he truly needed help).
Theo, you're an absolute hero, not for trying a come back this year (he tried out unsuccessfully with his old team the Calgary Flames), not for writing a book, not even for "coming out".
Theo, you're a hero for being clean, sober and healthy again.
Excerpt from Fleury's book:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2009/10/10/book-excerpt-fleury-s-playing-with-fire.aspx
On the ice he was regularly seen antagonizing opponents with his relentless play, but also with his mouth, "yapping" at others.
Off the ice, he had a reputation as a bad boy who drank a lot and rumours of drugs followed him.
In 1997, Graham James, Fleury's former coach at the junior level was convicted of more than 350 incidents of sexual abuse involving at least two former Swift Current players and served three years in prison.
Fleury never came forward as being a player James molested until now.
Fleury's autobiography "Playing with fire" is coming out next week. In it he talks openly and graphically about the abuse James inflicted on him and how it has affected him to this day.
Why am I talking about this? Am I pimping Fleury's book? No, Theo's story is just all too common.
Not necessarily the the sexual abuse (although that is rampant is all spheres of society), but rather how he was left to himself, and no one was interested in his reality.
I'm just as guilty as anyone else, as a hockey fan, I loved his enthusiasm on the ice, and learning of his off ice indiscretions was always funny.
There's nothing funny about Theo Fleury's life, and having gone through depression, I share the pain, emptiness, and loneliness he lives. Circumstances are very different, but the feelings of uselessness are wearily similar.
People loved Theo for his on-ice prowess, for his "manliness" of partying, but when he crossed the line (by the same others definition), they bailed on him. We fans, his team, the league gave up on the trouble-making Theo.
Now he's clean, sober, and freeing himself (very publicly) of horrors he's carried for over 20 years, and we love him (personally, I find that rather hypocritical since we weren't there when he truly needed help).
Theo, you're an absolute hero, not for trying a come back this year (he tried out unsuccessfully with his old team the Calgary Flames), not for writing a book, not even for "coming out".
Theo, you're a hero for being clean, sober and healthy again.
Excerpt from Fleury's book:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2009/10/10/book-excerpt-fleury-s-playing-with-fire.aspx
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