VANDU members recently gave a series of video interviews to speak out against the Vancouver Police Department handing out jay-walking tickets to the poor in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.
Police are ticketing people for jay-walking, leaving the sidewalk, smoking in a doorwar, and other petty offences.
Fines quickly add up to the hundreds of dollars and police levy such fines knowing full well the individuals issued tickets will be unable to afford such fines. Since there is no diversion option, such as community service, people end up doing months of jail time due to unpaid jay-walking tickets.
Several other VANDU members made videos about their ticketing and the impact it makes upon their lives:
OH YEAH
In Vancouver alone there’s a few of us who like to hang out in the dtes, the ten shelters that are available are not quite enough. The advocates who speak on our behalf are pushing for homes houses etc. Me personally i would be happy to have a new place to rest my head after a long day pursuing my addiction, hopefully there will be soup lines and handout’s close by because i will have no money to take care of myself. As a person who takes full advantage of addiction support services which are every three feet in the dtes i have no other goal or motive in my life but to get high and stay high. I’m used to handout’s except from the dealers, they are brutal they only want the money I obtain by begging borrowing or stealing with the exception of welfare day, when the taxpayers pay the bill. What a great country why would i even hink of turning my life around when everybody will give me anything i want except what i really need, which is a swift kick in the ass and a life free of addiction .That’s me homeless and addicted and living and loving your support keep it coming or Judy Graves will make a movie about me and girlfriend Wendy from the Carnegie will start a protest march, they seem to think they represent me when in reality they represent the drug dealers.
VANDU SUPPORT’S DRUG DEALER’S FILM AT ELEVEN OK OK HULLO
VANCOUVER CITY OF ADDICTION
The dtes is a melting pot of people from all walks, the addiction scourge that exists there will continue to grow as long as the support for this lifestyle is supported by so called harm reduction policies. Safe injection clean needles i agree with for health and potential overdoses. The fact that the vpd will not charge you for possession makes this part of town a freeway to hell. The so called four pillars approach should add another pillar the fact that insite has over seven thousand registered iv users and the estimated number of people in active addiction is said to be some ten thousand in a twelve square block area means that all these addict’s have a habit to support and drug’s to buy. To me the fifth pillar seems to be let the drug dealers do what they want. The amount of arrest’s for trafficking does not add up compared to consumption how do i know you ask well let me tell from a personal observation over the last five years. I walk and or drive through this area of town daily and it seems that the same drug dealer’s set up shop at the same locations daily i have never seen them arrested the seem to be untouchable so in conclusion i say the fifth pillar must be to supply the four. You can get heroin, cocaine ,crack, rx, weed, twenty four seven in this part of town at many well known places. People from across the city as well the country migrate here to the addiction capital of north America knowing that it’s a free for all.
Andrew was a great man in more ways than one the fact that he donated so many building’s throughout the world is a great testimonies. Unfortunately the one he built here in Vancouver Canada is unlike the over twenty five hundred in the world the Carnegie Centre also known as the Carnegie Drug Mart is a national landmark here in Canada to buy heroin crack and all kinds of RX drugs for the last ten years day after day year after year people go to the steps and or sidewalks of this building and openly purchased illicit drugs here in Vancouver this is apparently acceptable on another note the Vancouver Police Department is only three hundred yards from this corner of main and Hastings I wish this was not true but you can see for your self poor Andrews legacy is in my opinion being tarnished in this city he must as we say be rolling in his grave concerned citizen
Here is a video i personally took of the Carnegie on a quiet day normally there are hundred’s of people out front buying selling and using drugs
http://revver.com/video/1721935/the-carnegie-drug-mart-24-7-365/
Last year in early November I was walking around the downtown eastside as part of normal routine, and couldn’t help but notice the poverty and hopelessness that seem to be rampant on every corner of this the poorest part of our lovely city. I myself have suffered in the past from addiction and temporary homeless conditions. After a few days of feeling inspired I decided to carry a camera with me and started to document what I saw for the next two week’s I gathered together a archive of photo’s and with the help of a friend we produced a video which we aptly named THE OLYMPICS’ TOOK MY HOME This video is currently hosted on over fifty websites throughout the world. I also started a WEBSITE called 2010homelesschampions.ca ” WHO NEW” Today I’m so looking forward to the coming event’s surrounding the Olympics’ and the plight of this neighborhood Here is the link to this video
http://www.2010homelesschampions.ca/olympic_impact_on_homelessness_i.htm
POLITICS AND NONPROFIT SOCIETIES do not mix. nonprofits in the dtes seem to be very organized as a political machine to rally on a weekly basis against all levels of the goverment to what seems is more of a personal gain than really helping to solve the problems that exist they have become to phat and have taken to much limelite and not enough grit which i believe they were built upon.the new lux building costs approx 157.000 to finish one room factor in all other expenses .The new tennant will most likely be a person with addiction problems no life skills and in need of more than a room .MEANWHILE ME AND TEN OF MY FRIENDS WHO RUN RECOVERY HOUSES can for the cost of one room house over 350 men or women and give them peer group counselling feed them.Get them back to work transition a supportive enviroment direct them to many resources that are available outside the dtes stand beside them and see the transition and positive changes as they grow .We too are grass roots nonprofit societies and feel these big over budgeted phat societies give us all a bad name just imagine if we used people who were in active addiction to further our cause shame on all of you.Results are what are needed not rhetoric and that’s all i’ve seen for the last two month’s march after march if only you would take the time to listen to people who have escaped the dtes you might learn that we ended up down there because of dope and all the policies that you think represent us almost killed me and many others quit using addicts to further your political agendas a bag lunch dosen’t cut ok ok hullo
What can I say that would make a difference? I myself have been homeless. I had a drug problem for over 30 years. Today I’m clean for seven; been there, done it all. I see the toilet we call the Downtown Eastside as nothing more than a bank machine for misguided, misplaced, misunderstood solutions.
Since I’ve turned my life around, I see the chaos continue year after year with very few results. I have friends who have been to treatment over 15 times, detox 20.
So, with all the money and support services that are available, why are there such poor results? Some people would disagree, but it starts with enforcing the law of the land, making people accountable and giving self-esteem back to those who have none.
Stop supporting addiction — free needles, crack pipes, methadone-injection sites, food money on welfare day and on and on. Those of us who have walked the walk would agree in general that these exact same services added to destroying our lives.
I’m not saying no more services at all, but in order to stop or change the problem for any one person, sometimes the solution can be as simple as hitting rock bottom, or being fed up, or finding the actual desire to change, but as long as you have a peer group that is 10,000-strong in a twelve-block-square area, the odds are stacked against you.
— editor@2010homelesschampions.ca
THE R.A.A.S.T.A. MANIFESTO RECOVERING ADDICTS AGAINST SUPPORTING TERMINAL ADDICTION WE BELIEVE THAT THE MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE DTES TODAY DO NOTHING MORE THAN SUPPORT ADDICTION IF THAT WERE NOT TRUE THAN WHY DO YOU HAVE MORE SUPPORT FOR ADDICTION FINANCALLY THAN RECOVERY WHY IS THERE NO SUPPORT FOR DETOX SERVICES WHEN THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF ADDICTS IN THE DTES IS SOME TEN THOUSAND AND THERE ARE ONLY 200HUNDRED BEDS AVAILABLE THE CARNEGIE HAS THE LARGEST OPEN DRUG FACILITY IN NORTHAMERICA AND IS SUPPORTED BY MANY DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS THERE ARE OVER 200HUNDRED CARNEGIE CENTRES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND NOT ONE OF THEM HAS THE REPUTATION AS OUR VERY OWN IT’S BEEN ESTIMATED THAT OVER 2000 DRUG TRANSACTIONS TAKE PLACE ON THE VERY DOORSTEP OF THIS BUILDING DAILY.WHO CARES WE DO WE ARE A GROUP OF RECOVERED ADDICTS THAT WANT TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE CITY THE POLICE THE GOVERMENT TO PUT A STOP TO THIS BUILDING AND IT’S FLAGRANT ABUSE OF THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION AND LEGACY NEXT WE HAVE UNITED WE CAN THIS BUILDING IS PROBABLY THE WORST EXAMPLE OF ABUSE OF ANY IV’E SEEN EVERYDAY MEN WOMEN WILL SCOUR THE BINS GARBAGE CANS ETC OF EASTVAN ONLY TO END UP BACK ON THE HASTING STREET LOCALE TO EXCHANGE BOTTLES FOR CASH WALK OUT THE BACK DOOR AND BE MET BY A DRUG DEALER TO SPEND WHAT TAKES HOURS AND HOURS OF DIGGING THROUGH GARBAGE TO EARN THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THESE MEN WOMAN IS BANKRUPT THEYARE ONLY STEPS AWAY FROM DEATH THERE HEALTH IS POOR THEY ARE BEING MOTIVATED BY ADDICTION NOT THE ECOSYSTEM AND I HAVE SEEN THE LINEUPS THEY CAN BE QUITE FESTIVE AS FRIENDS GATHER TOGETHER TO TELL STORIES OF A NIGHTS WORK MOST OF THESE POOR LOST SOULS EARN 20 T0 40 DOLLARS FOR THERE LABOUR THEY ARE INFECTED AND DISEASE RIDDEN WHAT A SAD STATE TO ME THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THE UNITED WE CAN FOUNDATION AND ALL IT’S SUPPORTERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED SUPPORTING TERMINAL ADDICTION IS NOT A GOOD CAUSE INSITE IS NEXT ON THE LIST THE MONEY THAT SPENT TO KEEP THESE DOORS OPEN IS JUSTIFIED I’LL AGREE ON THE POINT OF SAVING LIVES BUT IN THE END HOW MANY TIMES WOULD THEY ALLOW AN OVERDOSE IN THERE FACILITY TO HAPPEN FOR A REPEAT OFFENDER THE FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICE IS STRESSED TO THE MAX IN GENERAL THIS BUILDING KEEPS THEM BUSY I’M SURE THE ONE REAL QUESTION I HAVE FOR THE CITY THE POLICE THE CARNEGIE THE GOVERMENT THE INSITE SUPPORTERS THE UNITED WE CAN STORE IS WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING NOT ONLY ADDICTION BUT WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING DRUG DEALERS THE ONES THAT MAKE THERE TRADE IN FRONT OF THESE SERVICES ARE RUTHLESS THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN A GREEN LIGHT BY EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU AND YOUR SPONSERS THEY SEEM TO BE DOING QUITE WELL THEY HAVE GENERATED 10.000 CUSTOMERS RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSES AND NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE SUPPORTING TERMINAL ADDICTION IS ALIVE AND WELL IN VANCOUVER AND I.M SICK OF IT.THE METHADONE PROGRAM IS AS WE SPEAK CREATING A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF OPIATE DEPENDENCY THE GOVERMENT JUNKIES SLASH METHADONE ZOMBIES ARE JUST STARTING TO AMASS THE SUPPORT OF THIS FORM OF TERMINAL ADDICTION IS THE WORST OF IT’S KIND THE OVERALL PROGRAM IS CORRUPT THE KICKBACKS THE PHARMACIES THEMSELVES CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT THEY ARE OUT OF CONTROL IF YOU THINK THAT THESE SEVICES ARE HELPFULL THEN JUST ASK ANY TWENTY YEAR VETERAN OF THE DTES HOW HE OR SHE FEELS ABOUT THEM SELVES TODAY AND THE ANSWER WILL BE UNIVERSAL THEY WISH THEY HAD A BETTER CHANCE AT LIFE BUT NOW THEY ARE ADDICTED TILL DEATH THUS TERMINAL ADDICTION THIS IS WHAT YOU SERVED THEM A HUGE PLATE OF ENABLEMENT AND YOU BETTER HOPE YOUR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN DON’T GET A TASTE BECAUSE THE SYSTEM OR THE MACHINE IS WELL OILED AND ORGANIZED AND ALIVE AND IT’S EATING MOTHERS FATHERS BROTHERS SISTERS ETC. AS FAST AS IT CAN .WE AT RAASTA ARE JUST BEGINING TO ORGANIZE YOU WILL HEAR FROM US AGAIN I PROMISE YOU THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AVALIABLE ARE THE SAME AS YOURS BUT WE ARE COMING FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE NOT TERMINAL ADDICTION BUT A LIFE FREE FROM ADDICTION OF ANY KIND IF WHAT WE DO ON BEHALF OF THESE OUR BROTHERES AND SISTERS IN THE DTES WILL SAVE JUST ONE FROM TERMINAL ADDICTION ARE CAUSE IS JUST AND WE CAN SLEEP ONE MORE NIGHT BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO STAND BY AND ALLOW THIS SLAUGHTER TO HAPPEN UNDER OUR NOSES ANY LONGER THE KILLING FIELDS OR DEATHSENTENCE AS WE KNOW IT THE EXISTENCE AND SUPPORT OF TERMINAL ADDICTION HAS TO BE STOPPED WE FEEL THE PLACE TO START IS WITH DETOX ON DEMAND NOT WAITING A WEEK IF WE ACCOMPLISH THIS ONE GOAL WE WILL FEEL WE HAVE MADE A SMALL DENT INTO THE WORST ADDICTION PROBLEM IN NORTHAMERICA
CIVIL RIGHTS ARE FOR EVERYONE, REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE OF THE DTES AS IF THEY HAVE NONE SEEMS TO BE A MYTH. AS FAR AS I CAN SEE THERE ARE WELL ORGANIZED GROUPS JUMPING AT ANY CAUSE TO COME TO THE SUPPORT OF THE HOMELESS OR THE ADDICTED THE FACT THAT THE CARNEGIE IS THE VOICE OF THE POOR AND THAT PIVOT IS THERE LEGAL GUARDIAN MAKES ME WONDER WHY POLITICS SEEM MORE RELEVANT THAN REAL CAUSES.THE MARCH ON THE POLICE, WAR ON THE POOR WAS QUITE SUCCESSFULL PEOPLE CAN NOW JAY WALK EVEN THOUGH MANY HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND THE ADDICTED CAN LOOK FORWARD TO MORE BRETHEREN ON THE DOORSTEPS OF THE CARNEGIE NOW THAT POLICE HAVE RELAXED THERE LAWS ON POSSESION OTHER ADDICTS FROM THE LOWER MAINLAND WILL MIGRATE TO THE DTES BECAUSE OF THE FREEDOM THEY HAVE I’M SURE THE CRIME RATE WILL DOUBLE.I FEEL SORRY FOR THE POOR LOST SOULS WHO RALLY TO THE CAUSE OF THESE SO CALLED NONPROFIT POLITICAL SELF SERVING MACHINES WHO ARE ONLY SUPPORTING THE CAUSE OF TERMINAL ADDICTION INSTEAD OF PERMANANT RECOVERY MOST HOMELESS OR ADDICTED PEOPLE ARE RIPE FOR PICKING IN THE DTES THESE NONPROFITS SHOULD BE ASHAMED
ADDICTION RULES IN THE DTES
2009
More than 2 million syringes are handed out free every year. Clean mouthpieces for crack pipes are provided at taxpayers’ expense. Around 4,000 opiate addicts get prescription methadone. Thousands come to the injection site every year.
addiction is a state in which the body relies on a substance for normal functioning and develops physical dependence, as in drug addiction. When the drug or substance on which someone is dependent is suddenly removed, it will cause withdrawal, a characteristic set of signs and symptoms. Addiction is generally associated with increased drug tolerance common usage of the term addiction has spread to include psychological dependence. In this context, the term is used in drug addiction and substance abuse problems
Impelled by the horror show of the Downtown East Side, prodded by activists and convinced by reams of academic studies, the police and city government have agreed to provide hard drug users with their paraphernalia, a place to use it and even, for a few, the drugs themselves.
HOMELESS AND ADDICTED
2009
I have been homeless and today i know and see the homeless in a high concentration, in the shelters in the dtes. A room mate of mine was also homeless for almost a year he himself spent two hundred and sixty days in shelters, the common link for me and most of the dtes my friend and many of my friends who were homeless, is addiction and the race to get high at any cost. Even to ruin our lives we have no problem admitting this yes we lost control of our lives we were unable to hang on to most of our life skills we chose to slowly deteriorate into our addiction and the life that comes with it. This no mystery to me or my friends the homeless problem as it exists today here in Vancouver is partly because of choices these people have or have not made, there will always be those who no matter what you do they are unable to take care of themselves. With me and the choices i made in the past addiction ruled. Today it no longer does but i see for the most part the majority of the shelters today are full of people who choose addiction for now because we have support services that take care of you no matter what we do. In my opinion this is keeping people with there hands open instead of being accountable with there lives and seeking the right support to change there lives. ONCE WAS HOMELESS AND ADDICTED Reply
VANCOUVER HOSTS THE 2010 ADDICTION OLYMPICS
http://www.2010homelesschampions.ca
Sponsored by:
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
THE CITY OF VANCOUVER
COASTAL HEALTH
THE VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
THE JUDGES
THE CROWN PROSECUTORS
LEGAL AID
THE DEFENSE LAWYERS
PROBATION OFFICERS
CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS
THE PIVOT LAW SOCIETY
CIVIL LIBERTIES OF B.C.
THE SAFE INJECTION SITE
THE NAOMI PROJECT
THE VANCOUVER AND AREA DRUG DEALER’S ASSOCIATION WELL REPRESENTED
THE CARNEGIE SLASH DRUG MART
VANDU
THE MANY PHARMACY’S WHO SUPPLY METHADONE
UNITED WE CAN RECYCLING
THE DTES WOMEN’S CENTER
YOUR CHILDREN AND MINE
FUTURE GENERATION’S OF ADDICT’S
AND THE TEN THOUSAND ACTIVE DRUG ADDICTS IN THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE
THIS ONE GOES OUT TO HANK KER CHIF FROM HAHA MEDIA
LAW WHAT LAW
I ”break” them all day everyday, the high concentration of lawlessness the petty crimes as well as the serious ones in the dtes are nothing to disregard, To compromise because of pressure from neo non profs is nothing more than insulting to both me and the rest of the law abiding citizens. Since when does one or two interest groups have the power or think they have the authority to even over turn the laws of the land especially when they represent a group that does nothing but break the law .I can only guess how many people who drive in this area of town who have had to swallow there hearts as some intoxicated addict floats across the street in a haze of consumption. Even worse the poor souls who have actually hit someone and had to live with it. ”THESE FREAKS” and i don’t use that term lightly have never had themselves been victimized by this and would scream the loudest had they ever been exposed to this type of lawlessness. In short enough is enough, drug addicts are entitled to the same rules laws benefits of our society as the rest of us because they choose to live a lawless life why does that give them a green light to challenge it.
Agree Disagree.
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