The Slum

I live in Canada's second most violent city according to Maclean's Magazine ... and I believe every word of it. It's not that the entire city is a dangerous place, but there is a concentration of violence in one or two neighbourhoods.

Most crime occurs in a specific area that is statistically one of Canada’s murder capitals, and also rates as Canada’s poorest neighborhood. It has the most street prostitutes per capita, and an incredible number of gang bangers for its small size.

Ironically though, Saskatoon’s human sewer is the most socialist/progressive area in the city. It’d take a mass migration to alter the vote from NDP to something else … even Liberal. This cesspit has given us two socialist premiers, scores of Leftist councilors, and MLA’s who likely go to bed each night with the latest Noam Chomsky tucked under their pillow. Saskatoon's slum has swallowed a gazillion dollars of tax payer’s money and still … even with all the love bestowed on it by “progressives” … it is a violent, crime ridden, hole.

The joke I have among friends is that there is one statistic not covered by official sources, but which can be seen anytime one drives down 20th Street or parts of 22nd Street in Saskatoon. These streets have the highest “limp” rate in Canada … that is, I’ve never seen so many people who limp, hobble, or shuffle along in my life. I feel sorry for some of them, as they are the blamelessly dispossessed such as schizophrenics or physically disabled through no fault of their own. But … and it’s a big “but”; many are victims of vice … drinking, fighting, crime, and impaired operation of vehicles. If you’ve worked or lived among this “class”, you find out pretty fast that most “limps” go hand in hand with the battle scars and rap-sheet.

“What happened to your leg, Kevin?”

“My cousin drove over it … the time we was over at Pearleen's!”

“What happened at Pearleen's?”

“Her old man got pissed and backed over me!”

“Why didn’t you get out of the way?”

“I was sleeping ... on the grass!”

Multiply this story a thousand times and you’ve got more limps, cuts, scrapes, and missing teeth on 20th Street than you'd find in a Turkish Prison.

Those readers of dainty heart will, no doubt, feel sympathy and pity for the denizens of Saskatoon’s slum … but not I.

I broke my “progressive” chains many years ago, when it dawned on me that one of the greatest hoaxes ever pushed on the public was that “poverty” breeds vice, when in fact, it’s likely the other way around. I know that there is complex interplay between the two … but most “progressive” dogma blames vice on poverty ... and limps.

I had my own epiphany on this matter, but it wasn't through some touchy-feely seminar where well dressed and even more well paid social works and educators become grounded in “progressive” canon ... I learned instead from those who’ve escaped the slum.

In every single case that I know of, where a mother, a father, or young adult, extracted themselves from the street, they did it by taking responsibility and flushing vice down the toilet. There are more of these folks than you might think … but don’t expect them to show up as stats on “progressive” pamphlets for the latest greatest government funded "program". These survivors have changed themselves … from the inside out … and without the help of the touchy-feely "system." They’ve done it out of desperation and because some light came on in their heads … click … “I need to change!”

One of my acquaintances told me just last month …

“I kicked him (husband) out because he wouldn’t quit that (drugs) and my babies were getting sick from the smoke (dope) … that’s the way I was raised but I’m not going to raise my kids that way. I have to change it.”

No councilors, no bureaucrats … just friends and family who are sick and tired of the consequences of vice … and are ready to move ahead on their own.

I find it grim that some of my "clients", those who've extracted themselves, call the slum, the "slum". They got out and now actually look down on their former stomping grounds with disdain.

Finally, let me share the story of a social services youth worker I know. He’s worked primarily in restorative justice … where his reports guide the court in how best to wrist slap young thugs and gang bangers. In all his career, he’s had two success stories … one because of his efforts; the other because of the efforts of a mother. That's it ... two!

The pot at the end of his rainbow is however, a nice fat pension care of the tax payers of Saskatchewan. In the meantime, Saskatoon’s slum continues to provide a feeding frenzy for “progressives” in the way of safe electoral seats and jobs, jobs, jobs for government employees.

I wonder when it’ll dawn on society that the day the “progressives” actually solve a problem and clean up “the street”, will be the day that many of them will get their pink slips. They’ll have finally worked themselves out of a job.