Vancouver Can Learn From Downtown L.A.

When coincidences occur, I pay special attention to them. One happened this morning that I could just not ignore. First, I heard this segment (8:10) on Bill Good's show on CKNW. It featured a discussion of a new film, Tears For April, produced by Odd Squad Productions centering around the tragic misery of the drug infested Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Then I learned about this article via a comment on David Berner's blog. It's about the similarly tragic situation that has been downtown Los Angeles for many decades. Finally some good things are happening to help the drug addicts lead better lives. And the source? No other than the frequently maligned L.A.P.D. Yet, fighting them every step of the way are the usual suspects:

• Homeless advocates
• The A.C.L.U.
• Liberal leaning judges & lawyers
• The Hollywood glitterati

The article is long. It'll take you about 30 minutes to get through it. But it's a worthy read. The similarities between L.A. and Vancouver are incredible. Though the actors are different, the screenplays seem nearly identical. Most importantly, the path forward for Vancouver seems abundantly clear. In order to happen, those in power need to agree to and stick to a logical vision and ignore all the misery advocates who will only detract any progress.

The Vancouver Sun or The Province should definitely print this L.A. article in full!