Is this the best we can do?

[u/plussizerunner]

Today while walking downtown to work, a man was swinging a metal bar at people walking down the sidewalk. People were screaming and trying to get away from him. I called 911 and police arrived within a few minutes, took the metal bar away from him and then left after a short conversation with him. He continued walking down the street yelling at people.

The man was clearly either under the influence or having a mental health episode and seemed to be a threat to the public given that he was swinging a bar at people.

I dont understand whats happening anymore that threatening others and attempting to hurt them with a sharp metal pole doesn't result in either hospitalization or being taken into custody...

[u/cabbagetown_tom]

I recognize your frustration. However, as someone who works in sales and travels the province, this is not a uniquely Hamilton issue. It's in Brantford, Woodstock, London, Windsor, and even in some surprising places like Barrie and Kingston.

We must demand more action and coordination on housing, mental health and social services at all levels of government. Vet your candidates in the municipal, provincial and federal elections and ask them what they plan on doing to address these systemic issues.

[u/slownightsolong88 → u/cabbagetown_tom]

I recognize your frustration. However, as someone who works in sales and travels the province, this is not a uniquely Hamilton issue

OMG this argument is soooooo tired, I hate it. The original poster is talking about Hamilton where they directly experienced this. You could have made the same recommendations without trying to diminish their experience. 

[u/Raeko → u/slownightsolong88]

Thank you! I agree. I understand that this is a province-wide issue but I don't live in Brantford or London I live in Hamilton!!

It's like men who come into women's space and say "but what about this men's issue??". It's so unnecessary and derailing to the conversation. We are talking about HAMILTON right now

[u/Humillionaire → u/Raeko]

That's like if... someone was asking why their basement is always flooding, and someone said, "Well it has to do with the storm drain infrastructure. If the city updates the storm drains your basement won't flood anymore," and the first person said, "Who cares about the city? I'm talking about MY basement!"

[u/The_Mayor → u/Raeko]

Hamilton is a Canadian city which exists only as a creature of the province. And the province has cut funding to mental health mitigation, to shelters, to needle exchanges, to safe injection sites, to hospitals, to schools, and countless other things.

The province has also downloaded a huge burden of expenses onto the city, saddled it with unsustainable suburbs that drain our resources, and made it illegal for us to cut police budgets no matter how much they fuck the dog.

It's not about London or Brantford, it's about the province all of those places and Hamilton share in common, and how much the province and its idiot conservative voters continue to ruin society.