rogercsr2007 said "This so called protest has to be stopped, this isn’t a protest all they have done is piss true Canadians off. I wish I could say how I really feel about these people but unfortunately my post would be deleted. All I’ve seen so far is 1: Harass soup kitchen staff, demanding free food that is meant for the homeless 2: Disrespect the Terry Fox Statue 3: Dance on the tomb of the unknown soldier 4: Carry signs and flags with swastikas on it 5: Assault hotel staff. This list could go on and on, This is absolutely despicable and has to stop! "
First a little perspective on who is being part of the solution and in what kind of numbers...
Some of the scenes that happened yesterday just can’t. No explaining away. No minimizing that it was a few lone randos. No media boogeymanism. No misdirection by cherry picking some other perceived example of hypocrisy.
Any event that attracts those types (even if in minority) that doesn’t clearly and unequivocally condemn is ultimately playing a part in softening Canadian values … even if it’s wrapped up in a message packed with flag emojis. The main Facebook page for this is unbelievably tone deaf, in stead of condemning these actions stuck in a ridiculous USA-far-right-style “media is trying to smear us” narrative and accompanying with a very soft “we do not condone.”
I’d respectfully ask anyone following this to please step back for a moment and ask yourself if these things in the quoted post should be happening in your Canada. Ask yourself what should be said to define how unacceptable they are and ask yourself what it opens the door to in this country when someone doesn’t strongly condemn. If you’re someone who liked a Facebook page or attended a rally or shared a tweet of a former pro hockey player that has lost his way in retirement or you’re involved with a west end business that put up a “resistance” sign while we deal with peak hospitalizations in this province, it’s not too late to admit that maybe you didn’t fully know what you were getting into or what it would turn into. I think a lot of folks would understand that even if you have some political concerns that you have every right to respectfully convey, this isn’t the minority horse to hitch to and that you along with others got swept up in some messaging that has the ability to catch our emotions at an especially vulnerable time where we all just want this to be over. Seeing Saturday and doubling down would be another thing altogether.
I see this as a sort of inflection point for Canada.
Though this group is a minority, we signal our values by what we accept without condemnation and each time we accept something we shouldn’t we move the goal posts a little more on what we define to be Canadian regardless of how we define ourselves politically or what our personal opinion of leadership is.
Already some political figures have spoken out against the worst of yesterday. In the days ahead it’s worth watching who does and doesn’t reflect a similar message…
At the end of the day, even though we're in a serious point of this pandemic wave there are hopeful signs based on models that the province presented this week. It's entirely possible that in not too many weeks there are going to be a ton of Canadians with a ton to be proud of in persevering through this and doing what medical professionals and public health experts ask to minimize the effect of this public health emergency on our community and province. It would be a shame to come this far and allow unnecessary divisions to creep in when there's a real possibility of the ultimate time of unity and togetherness not too far over the horizon.