Nothing says “Middle-income earner who longs to be accepted by the rich” like an extended screed that earnestly explains why lower income folks don’t make the cut in your neighbourhood.
My favourite part:
“When we first moved to St. Albert our teen had a hard time fitting in because of money and it was hard on him. Now he is good, but it did not go away with just a loving hug — his status was accomplished once his friends saw our house and other possessions.”
Nice “friends”!!!
Never mind Swine of the Week, this guy should be Worst Person in the World. (Olbermann now has a link to the story.)
UPDATE (Saturday April 10): When poor kids do it, it’s “crime”. When rich kids do it, it’s “youthful high spirits”.
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unrepentant old hippie 
When my parents shipped my oldest brother off to private school because of his behavior problems he became a snobby snot. He threw a tantrum because my parents wouldn’t host his birthday party at some place other than our home. His reasoning was – he didn’t want the other kids to know that we did not have a swimming pool. My parents response, (aside from being gobsmacked) was to tell my brother that if he was ashamed of his own home then he could forget about having any birthday party at all at that home. It pissed him off — but it sure made an impression on myself… (much younger) — I was very careful to not fall prey to that kind of snobby thinking.
What is utterly tragic about these kids is that they did not have parents that even understand why judging people based on their material wealth is stupid — let alone be able to teach these kids that lesson. How sad.
Wow. Well, I’m glad to see at least their neighbours are as disgusted as we are.
Something tells me I’m going to be hearing a lot of this sort of nonsense during my campaign here in Milton.
What utter tripe that letter is. Unfortunately, like the diviners of old, it does reveal some information. It definitely demonstrates the class apartheid that goes on in this country. The poor must not be let into the rich communities, dammit. They’re happier in their own neighbourhoods anyway.
Oh, a read from David Climehaga, who lives in St. Albert.
http://www.albertadiary.ca/2010/04/how-embarrassing-st-albert-finds-itself.html
Published April 3rd. If only he’d sent it two days earlier he’d have an “out” when the shitstorm erupted.
MW
Exactly. That was my first thought — what kind of parents teach their kids that it’s acceptable to be judged by their “stuff”? And that people who would do so are “friends”?? Most parents try to teach the opposite.
greenjenny – Yeah, I don’t think this clown realized what kind of storm he’d set off. What an idiot!
(Best of luck with the campaign, BTW.)
Bleatmop – There’s a lot of NIMBY type stuff going on, for sure. I can understand why people might not want some types of businesses in their neighbourhoods, but to think a certain “type” of person should be rejected from a town just based on how much money they make is ridiculous. Where does this bozo think all the people who work at the stores and gas stations in St. Albert live? Or maybe he expects them to make a 20 mile commute to some inner-city slum?
RB – The letter is so over the top, that was my first thought, that it was someone doing an April Fools joke. But the guy has apologized for it — really dumb, considering he had that window of opportunity to say “Ah, it was just a joke”.
Maybe people should be limited from living in certain areas because of their stupidity.
OH! Come on, Bleatmop! Apartheid was the LAW in South Africa. If you didn’t follow the GOVERNMENT IMPOSED POLICY, you went to jail. If you resisted that you would be shot in conflict with government troops. This demonstrates snobbery, not apartheid. If you shoot all your big guns at the start, you will have nothing left for the big battles — such as if apartheid were really implemented.
Snobbery is disgusting; Don’t get the idea that I oppose despising the kind of behavior this letter reveals. I am a Christian, and I believe that the only faultless attitude is to love your neighbor as you love yourself. That includes loving the people this letter writer is talking about, as well as finding the people being described in it as far, far from faultless. My only point in this point is that calling it apartheid is way, way over the top. Seeds of apartheid? Could be, to be sure.
Brian – To quote Futurama – “You are technically correct, the best kind of correct”
Yes, I’m aware that this isn’t an actual apartheid. I thought it was clear that I wasn’t saying that St. Albert is in South Africa or that people were going to get shot. I’m sorry I didn’t put a disclaimer there for you but I’ll be sure to be more inclusive to the hyperbole challenged in the future.
You know, it might have been clear in your mind, but when you use such strong words to describe something that doesn’t meet that level, two things happen. 1) you run out of strong terms for the things that deserve them, and 2) people who are easily spun up react to what you actually said.
It might have been clear that you weren’t suggesting that people in St. Albert were about to be shot, but it was not clear that you didn’t think that what is happening there is apartheid; I mean you virtually said that it was apartheid when you said that the letter “demonstrates the class apartheid that goes on in” Canada.
Would it have been so different to say something like “This demonstrates the class stratification that goes on in this country.”? I mean, that is pretty bad in itself, right?
Brian is the resident nit picker, fur shur 🙂
Maybe; But who in their right mind would want to keep their nits?
I hope the folks that wrote that letter like to eat at home, because anything they get in a restaurant locally is more than likely to come with an extra helping of body fluids.
Oooooohhh…lookee here: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2010/04/05/edmonton-st-albert-habitat-for-humanity-letter.html
Dare I make a prediciton? That Perry-et-famille will soon be finding themselves unable to afford their neighborhood? ‘Cause their neighbors are, you know, pissed at them!
Sorry, Perry, there’s not antedote for foot-in-mouth disease.
Maybe so, JJ, maybe so. But if stupid people weren’t allowed to live in Alberta the Conservative Party would be short a couple dozen MPs.
The conservative party has a couple of dozen progressive MPs in it?
Ah yes… and the rich kids are so appreciative of their unique position that they set the boys washroom of their high-school on fire.
Unless….
Did they build the Habitat houses in less than a week?!
Dave – Hahaha! Good catch.
rev
😆 No shit — never insult the people who handle your food or you get a little “special sauce” added (at no extra charge).
“I don’t believe I really thought about what I was writing when I put it down,” Perry said…
I once tried that on a prof who gave me a low mark and another time on an appeal from a case I blew. It didn’t work, but it really wasn’t my fault because I’m not sure I really thought about what I was saying.
Not to worry, Chris baby, a high-profile stint in rehab and a grovelling public apology to all the little people will soon get you back on track at the golf club.
Peter – Can you imagine the looks this guy is getting from people? 😆