The meeting started with the usual speeches from the podium Which were on topic and fairly focused.Then the people in attendance began speaking and it was clear from the start that there were some other agendas in the room.First was the fact that people were very unhappy with the way the government,at all levels,was failing our children.The fact that we all know that B.C. has the worst child poverty in the country and that life's a struggle for families with children didn't seem to matter to the people present.Then there was some woman who was:"so angry Ive got to calm down a minute." She spoke about levels of consciousness and the opening of doors to darkness.It left a palpable silence in the room.No-one wanted to attack an obviously disturbed woman and it took quite a while before any dialogue continued without the person showing deference to that woman in some way.There was a group present that mentors young people and they were warmly received and several of them were allowed to speak.A teacher also spoke of the difficulties she had doing her job.At the end of the meeting these same people were heard loudly complaining that they weren't being heard and that they should form their own movement.PLEASE DO! I'll bet the paper is going to complain that there were none of them on the podium.What is with these people? They've had their way for 40 years and now that we in the anti-prohibition crowd are getting a little notice,they want in.They complain and whine that they don't get invited to podium positions at our meetings.I've been an advocate for a medical approach to the drug problem for at least 38 years and I've never been invited to a podium either.I would not be welcome at a meeting to discuss harsher drug laws nor would I want to.You don't go to a drug reform conference and talk religion or child poverty or anything else that's beyond the agenda.If you want more enforcement or programs mentoring young people then by all means form your groups and have your say.If you have something that's in line with what we are discussing,come on down.Just don't bring your prohibitionist voodoo nonsense because we've heard it all before.You never have anything to say that's new.That you showed up showed a sense of civil responsibility.That you had nothing to say about what we were trying to discuss and just sidetracked the conversation and then complained that you didn't get a fair shake because no-one was at the podium was ignorant and an absolute fabrication.We have totally different agendas.We are trying to represent the majority of addicts that will be addicts for the rest of their lives.That you want to hold a hand out to the 10% that will succeed at treatment is admirable.Just don't expect us to let you take away from our meetings.You don't understand what is being tried and you don't want to see it succeed.Form your own groups and work on your own policies.You have no interest in what we are saying.Don't pretend to listen and then shout that you never get heard.
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