|
So who gets to decide when that threshold is crossed?
That's a massive morality question that humans have struggled to answer since crime was even a thing.
The US executes the most people for criminal acts, but no developed country has worse crime than them... so I don't think that works.
I mean, in that model, perhaps this guy isn't alive anymore?
---
Mental health supports
Vancouver Coastal Health addictions adviser Guy Felicella was among keynote speakers at the recent townhall and says he was alarmed to hear that many residents attribute the issue to the city's homeless crisis.
"That to me is so far from the truth," said Felicella, who has overcome his own challenges with addiction to become an advocate for people living with economic and mental health challenges.
Guy Felicella struggled with homelessness and addiction for decades in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. He now uses his experiences to mentor others in similar situations.
"I don't know who's doing random attacks, but it's highly unlikely it's people who are homeless. They're just trying to do their thing, day by day, to survive," he said.
Felicella says the assaults are a symptom of wider challenges surrounding a lack of supports for people struggling with mental health, addiction and housing insecurity.
More than 1,700 people were assaulted unprovoked by a stranger in past year, Vancouver police review finds
"It's really challenging to go through life and try to feel supported and not getting any," he said. "You're carrying a tremendous amount of shame and guilt, self-hatred and low self-worth ... it comes to a bubbling point where you just lash out, and it's often out of character."
Following Vancouver's virtual town hall, organizers say they're taking what they heard to the province to advocate for more supports, including a push for improvements to the supportive housing model.
|