The other day at work, a homeless woman ran into our fast food chain crying, screaming, and asking us to call the police. When I left my position to talk to her, I found out that a store owner nearby had, without giving her prior warning to leave, forcibly removed her by grabbing her throat and shoulders. I called the RCMP, and although I was assured they would be on their way shortly, they never came. Oh, but they did call back… five hours later. They called to ask if the woman was still there. When told them no, I was informed that they didn’t have enough information on file to do anything. When I asked why they hadn’t requested that information earlier, I got a weak excuse.
To add to the ignorance, some customers came up to tell me that I was brave for approaching the woman, but should basic human decency be celebrated? She wasn’t dangerous; she was in distress because she was assaulted. In the wake of this, I recall the George Orwell quote, “All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Another day, another dollar, another vulnerable citizen overlooked by the law.
Image: Amara Gelaude/The Cascade
Chandy is a biology major/chemistry minor who's been a staff writer, Arts editor, and Managing Editor at The Cascade. She began writing in elementary school when she produced Tamagotchi fanfiction to show her peers at school -- she now lives in fear that this may have been her creative peak.
