Matt Todd's Pursuit of Idyll Minds

While walking to the grocery store today, I was asked for change by 2 people. I’m normally only approached by no more than one panhandler… That’s 200% of the usual number!

I was warned by the citizens of White Rock that, if tall buildings are built, they would act as a beacon to all the homeless people in the region. Clearly the trend shows that the new buildings are already attracting more and more homeless people to White Rock.

This got me thinking… Have any of their other dire prophecies come true? Read on »

When considering my previous post, think about the most recent federal and civic elections in White Rock:

• Both had very low voter turnout;
• Both resulted in a mandate to resist change;
• Both were laden with empty-calorie rhetoric;
• Both had undercurrent debates about the meaning of democracy;
• Both illustrated a high degree of ignorance among citizens on how government functions.

Read on »

Perfect democracy is as idealistic as communism. The problem is that the realities of human nature get in the way.

One impediment is that it seems people like to think they are separate from government — that it’s an ‘us and them’ — they don’t see (or don’t want to see) themselves as being part of the system. But mere existence has an influence on other people, therefore existence is an inadvertent act of community participation. Read on »

There was an almost-great letter to the editor of the Peace Arch News last week. It was great until the last line.

It was a fabulous statement on community spirit… then included praise for the election results. But absolutely nothing he spoke of was an issue of debate during the election. If anything, it was a clear point of consensus. I have no doubt that each and every candidate would emphatically and enthusiastically agree with the vision he described.

Some candidates volunteer and contribute more to the community than others, but there was no evidentiary pattern in the election results.

The irony of his letter is that, by diminishing other people’s perspectives, he actually undermined his own vision of a community of positive, engaged citizens.

 
From the November 26 edition of the Peace Arch News: Read on »

I hate, absolutely hate, the blind, righteous sense of entitlement that some people use to justify bullying and bludgeoning others to get want they want. The selfishness is disgusting. The hypocrisy is mind-numbing.

Unfortunately, maddeningly, how I react isn’t any better. I tend to reflect their behaviour, to mirror it back to them. I become obtuse, stubborn and pedantic.

Friday, I attended an event to honour citizens who have contributed greatly to our community for many years. The idea of the Living Legacy Book is to recognize people who have made significant, positive impacts on our community while they’re still alive rather than wait for their eulogy.

After the ceremony I made an attempt to be helpful for an initiative that a local environmental activist created and has operated for a number of years. Given past discussions, I should have known better. But I thought that, since I am leaving my responsibilities as a councillor, perhaps she would see no need to continue lecturing me on how ungrateful, ungracious, and ignorant the City is with regards to her efforts. No such luck. Read on »