by Harvey Oberfeld
September 18, 2023
Premier David Eby’s “white hot anger” that alleged multi-victim stabber Blair Evan Donnelly was on a “Day Pass” from BC’s insane asylum should be directed at his own BC NDP government.
After all, the British Columbia (Psychiatric) Review Board, appointed by the NDP government, was in charge when Donnelly was granted unescorted leave!
It’s not politicians like Eby who should be loudly proclaiming their “anger”: it’s us … the people … who have increasingly become victims of extreme “progressive” governments, excessive “progressive” policies and their ideologically-programmed “progressive” appointees who implement them.
Donnelly was allowed his unescorted day pass from the psychiatric hospital even though, in addition to murdering his own daughter in 2006 (which led to his commitment), he also stabbed another person in 2009 after being released on a day pass from the facility, and then, in 2017 used a butter knife to attack another patient in the hospital.
And just five months before the latest incident, Donnelly was still described at a hearing as a “significant threat” with a “high risk of relapsing” .
You can read that full story here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/chinatown-stabbing-suspect-described-as-significant-threat-high-risk-of-relapsing-1.6966671.
Yet, there he was on the streets of Chinatown, on yet another unescorted day pass … and now accused of stabbing three more innocent bystanders attending a festival.
Very few voters/taxpayers could probably name a single member of the BCRB, but I’d bet many British Columbians suspect, despite their expert professional credentials on paper, they very likely, as NDP appointees, could probably be viewed as “progressives”.
The real question Eby’s inquiries should answer … but won’t … is whether BCRB overboard “progressive” views and ideological agenda placed the killer’s individual pleadings ahead of their duty to protect the public?
If so, it’s just another example of how too many extreme “progressives”, given any powers, go too far … maybe too fast … and our society is suffering as a result.
We’re not talking here about ALL those with progressive ideas/thoughts.
I have long regarded myself as “progressive” when it comes to social policies: supporting racial, ethnic, religious equality; gay and transgender rights; women’s right to choose; welcoming true refugees, and exercising compassion through laws and policies to take care of those who cannot work.
However, over the past 10 years, we’ve witnessed a whole new breed of EXTREME “progressives”: ideologically programmed/driven politicians implementing agendas that go too far too fast … oblivious to the damage they cause to so many in society in the process.
They also appoint judges, at all judicial levels, who hand down and push “progressive” decisions, based on new “progressive” laws … that fail to keep even violent recidivist criminals in jail!
And there is mounting evidence now of not only how much this has all harmed our society … but how silly and even stupid so much of it has become.
Don’t even try to light up a cigarette, blunt or a tobacco pipe on any beach or in any Vancouver park, but it’s okay in most to shoot up heroin, crack, MDMA … even fentanyl.
How “progressive”!
In fact, it was only after enough Vancouver residents became sufficiently outraged and demand ed safety for their kids, that our “progressive” City Hall, “progressive” NDP provincial government and “progressive” Liberal federal government finally acted: it’s now illegal in Vancouver to shoot up “within 15 metres of any play structure in a playground, a spray or wading pool or a skate park”.
Other cities made it illegal to use drugs in ANY public space …but in good, old “progressive” Vancouver, just stay 15 metres away from kids playing … and you can inject yourself anywhere you want!
And even that is a farce!
Will “progressive” City staff or police hand out tape measures to addicts? Does anyone really believe police will actually do the paperwork to lay charges based on “distance” infractions … or that Crown Counsel would actually take/prosecute those cases in Court?
And that’s just part of the harm the excessive progressives have inflicted on society in recent years.
Remember the suffering (filth, thefts, needles, weapons, violent crimes, fires and turmoil) Strathcona residents endured for TWO YEARS because Vancouver’s “progressive” Parks Board, “progressive” City Hall and “progressive” City Police did nothing to clear the squatters out of what was supposed to be a neighbourhood park.
And that was on top of the other encampments, also allowed by our “progressive” Parks Board and “progressive” City Hall to establish themselves at Oppenheimer Park and Crab Park.
So why were the “progressive” powers in charge then be surprised when a burgeoning residential community and drug supermarket also sprang up on the sidewalks of Hastings Street, where crime, assaults and open drug use was tolerated … until the Fire Marshall finally stepped in and said Enough!
And instead of sending those packing who came from outside the Lower Mainland, outside BC and even outside Canada … demanding “free” housing, the “progressive” City and “progressive” NDP provincial government had another solution: they spent hundreds of millions of dollars to buy up hotels right in the heart of the Granville shopping, dining and entertainment district and move as many homeless, mentally ill and druggies as possible into the area .
And, of course, also open all kinds of service centres and a needle exchange right there too to cater to them all … the local residents and businesses be damned!
What a brilliant “progressive” move that was!
It destroyed the entire area and resulted in MORE assaults, thefts, muggings, stabbings and murders.
But times are changing.
Polls show the victims of all this “progressive” engineering are finally waking up, rising up and mobilizing their discontent.
David Eby and Justin Trudeau should realize how fed up the public has become with their “progressive” agendas and policies !
And want back a society that takes care of and protects the majority … instead of catering to the minority who are destroying it.
Harv Oberfeld
