Vancouver,Canada is a magnificent city,well worth the visit.I lived in Greater Vancouver for a very short time in 1979.It has unparalleled scenery,Gastown,Stanley Park and Canada's largest Chinatown.The saying of the day used to be"even our cities have a countryside".
But Vancouver has another side as well.It always has had.That is what's known as the Downtown East Side,around Hastings and Main.It's a shadowy world of prostitutes,pimps,homeless and displaced persons and the addicted.It's the former hunting grounds of serial killer Robert Pickton.Drug use and violence are clearly in evidence even to the unobservant eye.Every form of human degradation and vulnerability is on display here.And now,there is at least one tour company conducting walking tours of the area,so that visitors might have the chance get a close up view of all the neighborhood has to display.
The idea,such as I understand it is not dissimilar to celebrity tours.Celebrities in this context though are the people of the street,users,hookers,mentally ill persons,bottle pickers and petty criminals.For a price,and not a small one,tour operators get you up close and personal with everything that this sort of existence implies.Kind of a new twist on a trip to the zoo.
I have two distinct reactions to this enterprise.Firstly,as a Christian,I find it abhorrent to see anyone making a living of the dire misfortune of others,regardless of whom,or what brought about that misfortune.We are called upon to love others, to seek to relieve suffering,and to provide enlightenment to the lost,not to regard deviance and it's attendant hardship as a curiosity or an entertainment or opportunity for entrepreneurship.As a Christian,I simply and loudly pronounce this as being unseemly and morally wrong.Without the least hesitation.
As a thinking person,I also find an abundance of reasons why this sort of undertaking is wrong.There are those that say we do not need to appeal to religion to inform us in matters of morality.Obviously I disagree,but an appeal to intellect does not leave these tour operators in a favorable light.
First,at over two hundred dollars for a two hour tour,this is simply crass,callous capitalism at it's worst.An average zoo,by comparison charges something in the neighborhood of twenty dollars to enter and stay for most of the day,and,from those proceeds provides not only an enjoyable and informative family experience,but is instrumental in providing support services for conservation of endangered species as well.But apparently humiliation and ridicule can command a higher price.And given the totality of human history in this respect,that's exactly what should be expected.Shades of an American Presidential candidate mocking a disabled man come immediately to mind.
There are those who suggest that walking tours of this blighted neighborhood are one way to encourage empathy for marginalized populations.I am not buying into that idea in the least.In fact,I see this as being nearly entirely based on the desire to ridicule.Were empathy the goal,the tour guides would be providing education on the psychological,sociological and philosophical aspects of social problems.I'm guessing that that's not happening.I'm guessing it's more or less a quick and dirty tour of a readily available"zoo" in which the tour operator bares no responsibility for the upkeep of the "animals". If anyone finds themselves in need of more empathy,there are an abundance of volunteer opportunities in most such areas.Feed hungry people,step up and provide for a need.In the process you will inevitably get to know some of the people who live in these circumstances.With the tour provider,you will most likely come away with a heightened awareness of the stereotypical,at best.
Stereotypes attach themselves to everything.But in marginalized populations they loom disproportionately large in the lives of those being typecast.What are these tour providers doing to promote the humanity and individualism of even one street person? How do they provide any enlightenment of the root causes of addiction or homelessness or prostitution in individuals? They simply provide a sensational,visceral experience that does not edify and is often quickly forgotten.A low form of entertainment.
Perhaps the people conducting the tours in Vancouver can speak to a concern that I have.I invite them to comment here if they wish.Who are your clients.I don't mean that you should name them,after all I respect privacy in a way that these people clearly do not.But,do tourists include children?And,if so what is being done to minimize risk,not to mention emotional trauma associated with the activities providing the entertainment.For that matter,what is being done to ensure anyone's safety? Hopefully Vancouver police are as concerned with this as much as I am.
Humans are entitled to a presumption of dignity,no matter what state they find themselves in,and it's true that many sacrifice that dignity to feed their base desires.Again,as a Christian,I would suggest that this is because we are all created in God's image,but you needn't appeal to religion unless you see fit.When in shelters,homeless people are entitled to an expectation of privacy,though I'm uncertain of how strictly this is enforced.But the absence of that expectation does not mean that persons-any persons can be deprived of their dignity.Now I ask,how many persons are photographed during these tours?Not just engaging in deviant acts such as prostitution,but also necessary acts,such as perhaps urination,which is not always easily facilitated within this population.And,do any persons ever come to be portrayed in a particular and almost always unflattering light,even though their presence may be nothing but the merest coincidence?
To people visiting Vancouver,I urge you to partake of all the city has to offer.It's a truly great place and,as a Canadian,I am very proud of it.I usually like to get off the beaten track when I'm in an unfamiliar city,and I encourage you to do likewise.If you want to photograph,or write about,or sketch,draw etc.,homeless,addicted or less fortunate people,I urge you to get their permission,and seek to dignify in any of your interactions.If you seek to be more understanding and empathetic,take some time to get to know someone you might not otherwise seek out.When you do,bring a sandwich,a dry pair of socks,a warm jacket,maybe a hug or a prayer.You can see the troubles of this world for yourself and come away educated and with a better point of view.But most of all,I urge you not to patronize those tour companies that make their living by increasing the uncalled for humiliation of fellow human beings
blyndpapaya
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