I was under the impression that residents in a transition house were well on the way to turning their life around. It seems to me they have already come a long way up from the bottom. The Sunshine Coast seems like a perfect location to improve their chances without the stresses of a big city.
What I do not understand is the hostility and prejudice. Sending someone to a desert island doesn't improve their chances to integrate with society. Sometimes people get a bad break right from the beginning. Maybe they never had a chance to become involved in activities like sports or music. Maybe poverty kept them down or some other family problems. What is important is that they are given enough resources and responsibility to turn their life around. Why is there always an us-and-them attitude? If you dump them on a street corner one day and say don't do it again, the recovery rate is going to be pretty sad.
John Prine once wrote, "It ain't such a long drop, from the diamonds in the sidewalk, to the dirt in the gutter, and you carry those bruises to remind you wherever you go."
Jack Ploesser
Roberts Creek
