“IT STRIKES” Again: Wisdom might have everything to do with feeding the birds

[This column was originally published in April, 2003. It was inspired by the short-sighted attitude [also hard-hearted in my opinion] revealed in a letter to the editor of London’s local newspaper. gah]

Wisdom might have everything to do with feeding the birds

Robbie Smink of St. Marys quoted a wise man in a recent letter to a local paper but left me none-the-wiser.

“If you put the bird food out the birds will come.”

Robbie wanted politicians to ‘wise-up’ because many people are lining up to ‘not pay’ their hydro bills (“The excuses seem unlimited... their ability to milk the system, uncanny.”). He sees “no end in sight” to those needing assistance through London’s THAW program.

“Why can’t politicians grasp this simple concept?” he asked. Smink fears government involvement in other areas of our lives because “there would soon be countless needs, chronic shortages, lineups and waiting lists as we already see in social housing, education, health care...”

I think governments understand Smink’s simple concept and have already enacted many seed-removal measures. Deep cuts to health care, education and social services are well-documented. Is it now time to stop feeding the birds entirely?

Smink intimated as much when he offered for our enrichment the wisdom of Quebec Premier Bernard Landry (another simple-concept-fellow who doesn’t approve of bird feeders); “If a small bird with a tiny brain can house and feed her young and look after herself, why can’t people?”

Both men should throw out a few crusts and observe what happens. As a variety of birds swoop toward the bread a natural pecking order will be seen and the offering will not be distributed evenly.

A wise woman said, “We should re-establish and strengthen our universal family allowance program, which Ottawa killed... leaving us without family or housing allowances. The spectacle of hundreds of thousands of Canadians lining up at food banks is a commentary on how badly we need a program to help families pay for the most basic necessities.” (Linda McQuaig in ‘The Wealthy Banker’s Wife’).

It is not people in lineups or on waiting lists that should chiefly concern Robbie Smink. It is present-day, calculated, government policy meant to deprive people of assistance and a sense of equality. Past government policies helped distribute more fairly some of our country’s wealth. Those days are gone.

(Author’s note - do past government policies fan the fire under the Occupy movement today?)

More to follow.

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Please click here to read the full letter that prompted the above column.

Please click here to read another exciting episode (How could it not be?) of “IT STRIKES” Again.

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