Beat it, Janet Fan and neighbours... the dying should protest being next door to you.

I actually had to read the article twice. I just couldn't believe this was true. http://www.theprovince.com/health/Angry+residents+planning+protest/4101617/story.html

Here is my disclaimer: I embrace the mutlicultural nature of Vancouver. I appreciate that everyone who lives in this wonderful area has something great to contribute. However, I also recognize that there is a reason you are choosing to live here and not somewhere else and that, sometimes, parts of that culture need to be left behind. So, when someone goes on the front page of the provincial paper angry over a hospice being built next door to her high-end highrise condo and states:

 "We cannot have dying people in our backyard," said rally organizer Janet Fan on Wednesday. "It's a cultural taboo to us and we cannot be close to so many dying people."

I get absolutely worked up about such insensitive bull shit.

Gosh. I'm sorry that someone's terminal illness might bring you bad luck. I mean: seriously? You live on the 17th floor - how will you be infected?

The residents are concerned about being in such close proximity to death. What happens if someone dies in the building? Does everyone move?

Fan goes on to say: "we don't want this hospice and how enraged, angry and shocked we are." Gosh, if you're enraged, angry and shocked - imagine how the families of people who require hospice care must feel when their entire worlds are turned around by the tragedy of terminal illness. These people are DYING - they are not murderers, pedophiles or politicians... they are people who require care and compassion.

Another neighbour, Angela Gao, worries "My kids and I are going to feel so frightened and angry just to think there are dying people so close to us." Once again, you are in a high rise and they are in another building. And if you're frightened and angry about their dying, imagine how they must feel? My child and I feel scared that such people like you are so greedy and callous and that you are raising your children to be the same.

Cultural "taboos" aside: I think we get to real issue of the resident's concerns further down in the article when residents start talking about how they paid nearly $1 million and they are concerned about their property value.

So why don't we just cut the crap and be honest? If it would raise your property value, you'd all be cheering your heads off. Don't hide your greed behind your culture - where is your decency as a human being???