Toronto Marks 500th Homeless Death

[Sapphire Blue]

"Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
- - The words over the door of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 25:

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Toronto Marks 500th Homeless Death
Grim Milestone for Homeless
by COLIN JOHNSON AND JOHN BREWIN; Tuesday, November 14, 2006 - Toronto Star

Imagine an entire busload of people dying in a horrible crash, because of faulty brakes. Cries of outrage, coupled with demands for improved safety inspections, would immediately dominate our newscasts, newspapers, government legislatures and water-cooler conversations.

Now try to imagine, if you can, 12 busloads of people perishing. Imagine the uproar that would provoke, especially if the victims were innocent schoolchildren.

We would all be appalled at such a terrible loss of human life. We all hold up the value of every human life and deplore needless deaths ... or do we?

(snip)

Five hundred lives - each as precious as yours or mine - snuffed out because of the lack of something as basic and simple as providing a roof over one's head.

As our wealthy society tolerates the growing death toll of homeless people, it's hard not to believe that some of us are deemed more valuable than others.

(snip)

While our society recoils from blatant discrimination against people of colour, Jews, Muslims and others who have suffered from prejudice, it apparently is still acceptable to discriminate against poor people. We are actively urging Anglicans to resist this mindset. We urge you to do the same.

http://mostlywater.org/toronto_marks_500th_homeless_death

Related threads:

Will you stand up for Human Rights for the Homeless & send this report to your Senators & Rep?: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x150969

"My name is Bessie, I am 94 years old and still homeless": http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x151109

Please, if you have a printer, download, print & send this report (“Without Housing: Decades of Federal Housing Cutbacks, Massive Homelessness and Policy Failure: http://wraphome.org/wh_press_kit/Without_Housing_20061114.pdf) to your Senators & Representative. Ask them what they will do to restore funding to Federal Housing Programs; ask them what they will do to alleviate the epidemic of homelessness in America.

Thank you!

[whistle]

1. How many homeless person deaths are there in NYC so far this

...season? Or Boston, or Philadelphia, or Detroit, or Chicago, just to name some other large American cities in the North.

[demrabble]

2. How Many More?

The article in your link is dated November 14, 2006 - almost three months ago.

And, since November, it has become much colder -- bitterly cold.

How many more people have died in Toronto simply because they were poor, old, and in the way?

[Sapphire Blue]

3. "In Toronto there is an average of 2 homeless deaths per week "

From the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC)...

Homeless Deaths

Did You Know?

In Toronto there is an average of 2 homeless deaths per week

A Homeless Vigil occurs once a month for those who have died on the streets

You can do something about it - come to a vigil for more info

Please Report Homeless Deaths

If you have any information concerning the death of someone homeless please contact the TDRC office at 416-599-8372. For more information contact, TDRC or the Church of the Holy Trinity at 416-598-4521 x 225. We are keeping track of homeless deaths -- our list has over 500 confirmed deaths. We will respect any information you wish to remain confidential.

Monthly Homeless Vigil

We remember all those who have died as a direct result of homelessness
When: 2nd Tuesday of every month
Time: 12 noon
Where: Church of the Holy Trinity; 10 Trinity Square (behind the Eaton Centre)

All vigils are followed by a free (donations welcome) lunch sponsored by Holy Trinity volunteers.

Upcoming 2007 Dates
Feb 13th, Mar 13th, Apr 10th

For more info, contact: TDRC at 416-599-8372

Thanks for your help.

http://www.tdrc.net/

[EFerrari]

4. I didn't know this about Toronto. That's really sad news.

K&R

:(

[EFerrari]

5. Kick

This is our friend, Trent. He died a few yards away from City Hall. He was a fine journalist and had just been hired by our local indy paper.

[calimary]

6. Kicking this!

Everybody needs to see this.

I know where we can get 100-thousand bucks/minute...





(STOP the War!!!!)