I've decided to comment on the news today. I've realized in writing the following, that I'm not always on the side of the pretty things. There is a practical side to my mentality which some of you may find humorous. The following, is an opinion on a small aspect of the current state of my home city Edmonton Alberta.
I don’t usually read the news, because things come to my
attention that crawl beneath my skin.
However, there are times that I become curious about the world I live
in and what the others are up to.
People don’t usually understand why
I don’t follow reports or developing stories, and it’s a difficult thing to
describe. The best way I can say it, is
that being part of this world embarrasses me.
Though, it’s becoming more apparent to me, that ignoring the things I
don’t agree with doesn’t effect a change. So, I've begun to pay more attention to see where I can fit into the world as less of a neutral.
Allow me to give you an example of what I mean.
I live in Edmonton the City of pot holes, litter, homelessness,
and murders. As I was reading our local
paper, it appears we’re looking at being the City of an LED lit high level bridge
costing 1-3 million dollars. Contrary to the article, this is not a great
idea. A lit bridge serves no other
purpose than a plain bridge. Lighting it
takes a functioning piece of infrastructure and makes it look a little bit less
like an eyesore from the people within viewing distance.
As an artist, perhaps I should be able to appreciate the
aesthetic. I can understand adding some
color and creativity to this City. I can’t
fathom why we’d light up a bridge that people would supposedly almost bust
their suspension trying to see...
Actually, who travels to see a bridge?
How much of an actual attraction would a colorful bridge be?
Are there not more pressing matters to tend to than a drain
on tax payer dollars and the electrical grid to make a bridge look pretty?
Let’s get the local graffiti artists free reign on the
bridge. It won’t cost anything. It’ll be a changing landscape. For those of you that don’t like graffiti artists,
some of them may - in fact - die from a fall.
This trend of fatalities may prevent graffiti on the bridge altogether. Mother Nature will wash the bridge off, and
we’ll be right back to the exact same spot.
Why?
It’s still just going to be a bridge. It could look nicer, but it's still going to work like a bridge.
Regardless...
It’s embarrassing that the state of our cities
infrastructure is struggling. It’s embarrassing
that we can’t drive to work without losing our cars in a sink hole due to
neglected roads – you guys with the big trucks have ground clearance going for
you. It’s embarrassing that our police
force lacks the funding to obtain proper training and put a dent in the
plethora of murders, homicides, and suspicious deaths that have dubbed us the
Murder Capital of Canada. It’s
embarrassing that we have so few viable ways to help our fellow humans gain a
functioning role in society.
It’s especially embarrassing that an article about spending
a metric fuck ton of money on a lit bridge is viewed as a great idea.
Sincerely,
Angel and the Stickmen
No comments:
Post a Comment