SHOW SOME COMPASSION

The non-profit Anavets Senior Citizens' Housing Society wants to
evict Marilyn Holsten from her apartment because she smokes medicinal pot.

Living in a social housing environment, such as an apartment complex,
requires considerable tolerance of neighbours. It is not like living
on an acreage where the nearest pain in the ass might be making noise
five miles away.

Living in an apartment means you have to be understanding of the gal
down the hall who burns her fish sticks every night; or the couple in
the bedroom below who occasionally have thunderous sex; or the guy on
the third floor who has replaced his curtains with a gigantic Calgary
Flames flag.

And sometimes it means tolerating the odd whiff of medicinal marijuana.

In the case of Ms. Holsten, the poor woman is taking puffs now and
then to alleviate phantom pains associated with being a double
amputee. Worse still, she is a diabetic with rapidly failing sight in one eye.

Let's put all the information together in one sentence: The
non-profit Anavets Senior Citizens Housing Society is evicting a
double amputee with failing vision because she smokes pot in her apartment.

Come on, people. Get serious. First of all, most of us would be hard
pressed to find an apartment block anywhere in Vancouver where at
least one tenant isn't firing up the occasional fattie. But this is a
double amputee with diminishing eyesight.

Do the right thing. Don't evict.