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by
Andrew
Steele
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Toronto,
Ontario
isatruly
magnificent
city.
Perched
on
the
edge
of
Lake
Ontario
like
a
multifaceted
jewel,
the
city
emanates
a
vibe
of
excitement,
and
the
spectacular
skyline,
dominated
of
course
by
the
CN
Tower,
is
one
of
the
most
recognizable
of
all
the
major
North
American
cities.
There
is
an
abundance
of
culture,
with
a
multitude
of
theatres
and
museums
to
take
in,
and
the
dining
and
nightlife
are
truly
world
class.
But
beneath
the
sight-line
of
most
who
come
to
Toronto
to
indulge
in
it's
many
charms,
there
lies
another
world,
one
in
which
fashion
is
replaced
by
the
struggle
for
warmth,
and
where
fine
dining
is
translated
into
the
often
desperate
bid
for
sustenance.
Like
any
major
urban
center,
Toronto
is
a
home
to
scores
of
homeless
people.
The
eyes
of
the
cold
and
lost
peer
from
weathered
faces,
tattered
blankets
adorning
frames
ravaged
by
poverty
and
substance
abuse.
These
forgotten
victims
of
our
culture
hide
in
allies
and
crooks,
watching
the
affluent
stroll
by.
And
it
is
this
lack
of
compassion
that
I
personally
find
to
be
the
most
disturbing
aspect
of
this
particular
tear
in
the
fabric
of
our
quasi-utopian
Canadian
way
of
Irfej-.-.
.t-j?
How
is
it
that
people,
myself
included,
can
care
so
little
about
the
plight
of
our
least
fortunate?
We
rush
to
and
fro,
caught
up
in
our
lives,
and
when
one
of
these
unfortunates
crosses
our
path,
our
reactions
range
from
an
odd
species
of
detached
pity
to
downright
disgust
and
outrage.
We
have
a
tendency
to
believe
that
these
people
have
arrived
where
they
are
in
life
due
to
poor
choices
and
the
abuse
of
drugs
and
alcohol,
never
considering
the
possibility
that
life
may
have
dealt
them
an
unplayable
hand,
with
all
the
chips
down.
We
have
a
tendency
to
believe
that
these
people
have
arrived
where
they
are
in
life
due
to
poor
choices
It
strikes
me
as
bizarre
that
we
can,
in
'good
conscience'
blame
the
victims
of
such
an
insidious
disease
as
chemical
addiction
for
the
very
existence
of
the
disease
itself.
Maybe
avoidance
of
such
pitfalls
is
contingent
upon
the
ability
of
the
individual
to
see
a
future
for
themselves,
in
which
case
those
born
into
poverty
are
at
a
clear
and
decided
disadvantage
from
the
get-go.
And
while
a
strong
case
can
surely
be
made
for
individual
responsibility
for
ones
life
and
choices,
should
a
poor
choice
result
in
the
relegation
of
a
person
into
a
sub-strata
of
our
social
mosaic
in
which
scorn
and
contempt
are
in
much
greater
supply
than
goodwill
or
honest
help?
It
seems
perfectly
logical
to
me
to
treatissues
of
addiction
and
substance
abuse
as
medical,
rather
than
criminal
ones.
A
person
who
has
never
dealt
with
an
addiction
may
have
trouble
understanding
that
the
monkey
on
the
afflicted
persons
back
bears
a
striking
resemblance
to
a
pit
viper,
all
fangs
and
venom,
rather
than
a
companionable,
if
somewhat
mischievous,
primate.
And
while
treating
cases
of
addiction
as
medical
problems
surely
will
not
solve
the
problem
immediately,
it
to
me
represents
a
huge
first
step
towards
removing
the
social
stigma
that
addicts
bear,
a
stigma
which
in
many
cases
can
lead
the
victim
to
a
life
on
the
street
rather
than
into
any
type
of
rehabilitation
program.
I
guess
I
might
be
a
bit
of
an
idealist,
but
don't
we
live
in
a
country
where
our
quality
of
life
essentially
obligates
us
to
take
care
of
one
another?
An
elitist
culture
in
which
those
afflicted
with
certain
ailments
are
dealt
with
as
criminals
rather
than
patients
only
serves
to
weaken
the
fabric
of
our
society
as
a
whole.
So
instead
of
dismissing
these
people
as
worthless
junkies,
human
garbage,
why
not
try
to
lend
a
helping
hand?
In
doing
so,
you
may
well
be
contributing
to
a
brighter
future
for
us
all.
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