There’s a bit of a problem over at St. Joseph’s High School.
Nothing as dramatic as protestors and counter-protestors separated by police because some kid had his way with school staff over gender-specific washrooms.
No, this is bigger shit than that.
This is about dogs going toidy all over the soccer pitch because people are letting their pets run wild in there, that enclosed space the school has recently created as part of its major overhaul and new construction project.
Principal Pamela Dickerson said in a community letter that people were using the field “as a dog park” without bothering to stop and pick up any of the little treasures that Sparky leaves behind when he plays with his pals or is out for his regular sniff and squat routine.
Those people I described in my Christmas messages? The ones who are caring and decent and thoughtful at their core? Well, it’s tough for them to walk around like that all the time without reverting to their other selves, the careless, lazy and thoughtless ones, perhaps the ones they show by default most every day.
So much for Christmas spirit.
There’s no question in my mind that if that field were secured, these same people would be allowing their pets to do as they please where they please anyways. And maybe they think that, since it’s winter, nobody is using the field anyways, so what’s the problem? I won’t get into the whole snow melting and dog shit remaining when the snow is gone thing. Too much science to take in, they wouldn’t listen to it anyway, and would care about it even less.
So why does the public even have access to the field in the first place? It appears nobody asked that question. I’d ask, but they probably wouldn’t answer, and even if they did, it would be tough to make sense out of a lot of what they might say.
“Rooted in our faith and fidelity to Christ Jesus, we at the RCCDSB cherish all of our community brothers and sisters, and open our arms and facilities to all who may wish to partake in them basking in warmth, good humour, and joy.”
Or something like that. That’s the way they talk, even if you’re just asking for the salt.
If it were me offering advice, I believe I could probably keep it relatively simple and easy to understand, while at the same time still remaining rooted in my beliefs. In fact, I’ve even roughed out the makings of a potential letter. It goes like this:
Dear Pam:
Lock the gate.
Yours in Christ,
Steve.
Why it can’t be that simple is beyond me. Do they think people will get up in arms because they’re no longer able to let their dogs loose to shit all over the field? It’s private property, for Pete’s sake. Who are they going to complain to? And what would be the nature of their complaint?
Schools today strive to create and develop children as critical thinking problem-solvers. But that doesn’t mean children having to figure out how to get dog crap off the bottom of their shoes or off their gym clothes. That’s not the critical thinking we’re aiming at. Those aren’t the problems we were hoping to have them solve. Especially problems that are avoidable in the first place.
You just spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on those facilities, and then you’re not going to secure them, leaving them vulnerable to this kind of thing, not to mention the inevitability of vandalism?
The principal, in her letter, indicated that the school is open to community feedback and suggestions. Like what? Putting a guy in there with a STOP/SLOW sign and a whistle? A sign that says NO DUMPING? A 1-800-ISNITCH line to report miscreants with their excrement?
Um, maybe the RCCDSB guys should do some critical thinking and problem solving of their own.
At the very least, this story resulted in yourFM news pounding out four paragraphs totalling maybe 70 words. That must have extended their crack investigative team to the point of near exhaustion.
NEWSMAGRENFREW 