End of May

As May fades into the past and June bursts forth with all the energy that mother nature can give I feel like there is a need to become activated and energized once more. May has been a difficult month emotionally and this usually causes me to rev up the engines and bring peace to my troubled mind. There are so many events that impact me least of which are the problems I see with our country.

Personal events strengthen a person and leave you counting your blessings, but events on the larger scale frustrate people because as one person there is very little you can accomplish. The last few years have been difficult ones for many countries and the endless bloodshed in the middle east has been nothing less than tragic.

Reading the accounts of the world issues makes us who live in Canada appreciate our own true safe and abundant life style. Even with this in mind there are 200,000 homeless people, close to the same number living in homes without clean water and healthy food. Children who if not nurtured in an atmosphere conducive to a proper Canadian life  will become our next generation of needy and unemployed persons.

With so much to be done we have a government who believe that the balanced budget is the most important issue. It is an important goal but care of its citizens must be the top priority. Many people never see the poverty first hand but if you walk the streets of our major cities or observe the activity at our food banks you see the face of poverty - of poor, needy people.

We now take for granted that the poor will be looked after by handouts from volunteer organizations and government can dismiss their obligations and look the other way. One United Nations  observer was invited to look at the poverty of many Canadian people,  particularly our First Nations,  and when he made his report he was loudly and publicly criticized in open session of parliament. His report stated that he could not understand how one of the wealthiest nations in the world would have such a problem of providing  food and care for its people.

I feel very strongly about how our government looks after the elderly, handicapped, homeless and the needy. Looking at this as a criteria for the health of our democracy shows that we have much to be thankful for, but much to be desired as well.