You may all hate me, however I'm not entirely unsympathetic to the neighbours concerns - all of our armchair opinions are not based on actual experiences of the situation. I also don't think that the neighbours are absolutely against the home being there, just the troubling aspects that may be effecting their lives.
However, Doug's way of handling the situation is appalling, to say the least. One-sided, unprofessional and downright insulting. Instead of trying to work with all parties concerned to rectify some of the problems, he goes on an all out attack without an ounce of sympathy or respect. Along with his usual talented flair for undiplomatic speech, exaggeration (what the Fords exaggerate?!! No way!!) and finger-pointing, he deserves all the criticism directed at him.
I just feel all of the NIMBYism attacks are a bit unfair, since none of us REALLY know what has been going on and how disturbing it has been. Not to mention that the neighbourhood was not properly informed to begin with. It's not a matter of not having any homes like this in neighbourhoods, it a matter of how troubling situations are handled so that all parties can work together to feel at ease. I may feel great sympathy for the kids in that home, and as a result compromise my desire for a peaceful neighbourhood, but to be completely honest, that doesn't mean that constant screaming at all hours and constant sirens on the street wouldn't bother me either. There are a lot of people out there that are better than I am, in that they would not feel upset about what's going on and I commend them. I also have PTSD that is triggered by disturbances around my home environment....