I was walking down to my favourite coffee shop - no not Starbucks - in Victoria when I was struck by the number of people lined up along the sidewalk holding out hands and hats. It seems that the only thing more ubiquitous in Victoria than Starbucks these days are beggars.
There was a time when I would have called them panhandlers but that implies a certain amount of activity or effort on their part. Now they stand or squat in a sullen pose hand or hat extended waiting for the occasional coin from passersby.
How is it that in a country so rich, in a province that is thriving we have so many beggars on the streets? Of course the question of the division of wealth has been around since the invention of money. I really do not expect to answer it but I do believe it is crucial that we try. When we stop reflecting on the inequities that are so present in our wealth driven society we will lose a vital piece of our collective souls. When that day comes we will have finally abandoned our compassion and given up any pretense of trying to overcome the growing gap that defines our shared identity as human beings.
Yes, the rich are getting richer, the middle class are stuck in neutral and the poor fall further behind the rest every year in a country that has so much wealth. But that does not mean we should accept this as the natural state of life. That notion is the great lie perpetuated by those who are rich or want to join the rich.
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