To the editor,
A Beefs & Bouquets submission alleged there are too many people on the Earth. Yes, it’s a bit crowded in some areas, but on the whole this Earth can provide food for all of us. The problem is no one wants to spend the money to ensure everyone has food. Same with drinking water or education. Many of the countries which have starvation, lack of basics are run by dictators who accumulate billions for their personal use. What do other countries and their leaders do? Not much. Those dictators continue to be treated like they’re decent people instead of thieves.
In this country there are all sorts of people who don’t have enough to eat because they can’t afford to buy food. Taxpayers prefer to blame the victim – ‘shouldn’t have had those kids, should have ensured you had a retirement plan,’ etc. People don’t start out planning to not have enough money to feed themselves and their families. It happens – pensions from governments not sufficient to cover cost of living. Welfare and disability rates are too low. Not enough affordable housing, etc. Illness and the inability to work, divorce, death of a parent, etc.
As the old saying goes: you reap what you sow. Many of the social problems we have today are the result of governments not planning for the future. Homelessness has been an issue since the mid 1980s. Food banks started on Vancouver Island back in the 1970s.
We ought to have known doctors and nurses were going to retire. There ought to have been plans in the works over 20 years ago. The doctor shortages aren’t fun for any one, but at least we get to see a doctor without it bankrupting us. Went to the Nanaimo hospital a couple of months ago. During my four-hour stay I was examined, had an X-ray, blood work, EKG. Doctor figured out what was wrong, handed me a prescription, the medication works and it didn’t cost me a bundle. I’m happy. I saw a doctor, was helped, and went home. Some of my fellow citizens came in with heart attacks and were seen quickly. Even if I’d had to wait for eight hours it would still be a good deal because you get to see a doctor and you don’t have to pay.
I’d suggest we stop blaming the current politicians about everything we think is wrong and start making some decent suggestions and help achieve the goals required.
E.A. Foster, Nanaimo
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