Lost souls need help, not cuffs
Dear editor: I was at the Wendy’s restaurant last Wednesday around 10 a.m.
One of the employees parked his bike and secured it on the fence outside. A short time later a young man stood on the sidewalk and was looking at the bike.
There were about 20 customers in the restaurant. The young man came down to where the bike was and knelt down, pulled out from his pocket wire or bolt cutters. He lifted the secure device from the bike and started to cut it. One of the customers, and many were watching, went out and challenged him with regards to what he was doing.
After a few attempts to get a response, the young man got up, put the cutters back into his pocket and walked away.
The staff and bike owner were made aware of what had just happened and went out to look.
It is so sad to see that this could happen in broad daylight, in front of so many people, yet the young man showed absolutely no guilt or remorse.
I had my back to it but when I did turn around I looked into his eyes. So sad, he just was not aware of what he was doing. In my mind, he is not a criminal but a failure of our system. Well dressed, good looking, but at loss to where he was and what he was doing.
This seems to be happing all over our city. Many on social media blame the RCMP, but remember, they can arrest but within 24 hours the legal system will have them out on the streets again with no medical support.
These young people need help. Sending them to jail will not help, giving them free drugs will not help.
Government needs to get their heads out of the sand and replace the institutions that they closed to help these people.
Yes, it makes you so mad when these people who are mostly addicted to drugs do so much damage, but who is responsible? Drug dealers who, if ever are charged, get a little or no penalty, in fact, they just laugh at the system.
Yes, I am mad, but looking into the eyes of that young man, I am even madder not at him, but at our system that does nothing to help them or us.
Bob Otway Penticton