Why so angry?

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/05/2021 (1599 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last Sunday hundreds (thousands?) of people stormed The Forks in Winnipeg to participate in an odd mix of protests against the unholy trinity of government, vaccines and masks. As of this writing, there have been very few charges laid against these individuals, even though they were clearly acting in disregard of the public health orders. Am I missing something?

Look, I’m a big fan of public protest. Governments need to hear what we have to say — this is one of the basic tenets of democracy — the consent of the governed. Although given the extraordinarily malevolent pandemic we find ourselves enmeshed in, it might be a wise idea to be more serious about dissuading crowds to form.

I’m not entirely sure why we pass orders that prevent small gatherings while we tut-tut unhinged anti-maskers gathering by the hundreds. This doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Where’s our sense of nuance? There is a difference between visiting my parents at their home and hosting a house party sponsored by Speaker City. We cannot expect politicians to have specific orders for each one of us in every circumstance.

The protest seemed like a motley collection of folks — some with “F— Trudeau” signs and other equally thoughtful signs, including linking Premier Pallister to communism.

I think characterizing Pallister as communist is imbecilic and reflects a lack of understanding by the protesters. Pallister might be viewed as authoritarian by the way he has issued health dictates, but that’s not communism, folks. Let’s get our insults right.

(Should the inability to properly employ the word “communist” as an insult underscore the need for the K-12 education review? Another column, another time.)

I think our government performance, both federally and here in Manitoba, has been scattershot at best. Neither level has done a great job dealing with the pandemic, but as further vaccines arrive in Canada, and folks are getting jabbed, COVID will eventually become endemic and not pandemic.

There have been signs of sage judgment along the way — Manitoba wisely dropping the age for people to get the Astra Zeneca shot; Trudeau bailing out Air Canada but requiring the airline to provide cash refunds for cancelled flights.

I like the deal Premier Pallister made with North Dakota in which that state will cover both the costs and vaccines themselves of truckers moving products into Manitoba. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s a good one.

My belief is that the vast bulk of the anger we feel these days is misplaced. No one is happy being stuck at home or having our incomes and lives so negatively impacted. It’s tough being unable to see our parents or visit with our friends and families. These concerns are all real and tangible. There are countless mental health challenges accompanying these lockdowns.

I get it — you’re mad, so am I, but who should I be mad at?

Regardless of who is in office, COVID has struck that jurisdiction. People have died and economies have suffered. This is true of Democratic California and Conservative Ontario just as it is true of Republican Texas and NDP British Columbia.

We’re mad because our lives are not particularly fulfilling anymore. Humans are social animals and we are restricted from doing so many of the things that give our lives meaning.

All I can suggest is this — get your vaccine shots. With each shot, we are one moment closer to reopening. I understand vaccine reluctance, but the actual science and research behind these shots are overwhelmingly positive compared to any vaccine I’ve ever seen or read about. If you’re measuring against perfect, then perhaps your reticence is warranted. But this is not the case — you are measuring against the impact of COVID. I got my AZ shot. Get yours.