“Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with a sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare , social justice can never be attained” – Helen Keller
I have been pretty quiet of late, in big part due to “compassion fatigue” and, in part, because I am bordering on just succumbing to the complacency of the community. I’ve been avoiding news (difficult since I am a news addict), social media due to the rise in vitriol and ridiculous conspiracy theories. This has also been difficult. When you are 72 and 69 years into a life of polio, social media usually beats the crap out of staring at the four walls of my apartment. And I have been avoiding “human contact” since I tend to be surrounded by idiots. I no longer suffer idiots well.
I have spend a good part of my life “floating” around this country to stay ahead of the developing regulatory systems we now genuflect to like it’s a religion. Our society has become one of regulations and legislation rather than “critical thinking” and common sense. I am not denying the need for policies and regulations but they need to be flexible, used as protection for the marginalized, not as a weapon to force marginalized individuals/groups to bow down to authority.
I’ve had it and it took me a number of weeks (almost two months) to regain my voice. I had to start learning to eliminate those who had no respect for me as a person but wanted the currency I have, information and knowledge. I can no longer move from crisis to crisis, I need people who are prepared to work “proactively” and outside their silo’s of expertise. I’m a generalist and damn good at it but I spend years providing advocacy for people that just wanted to get through their current crisis rather than learn how to use the process provided or cut corners to avoid dealing with regulations.
To avoid all of the frustration going on around me I have been binging Game of Thrones to prepare myself for the new series “House of Dragon“. I like my fantasy particularly when it reflects reality and Game of Thrones certainly does that. But now it is time to raise my voice again and get back to writing. I’m tired of watching people let their ability to critical think atrophy. I am tired of people who have no concept of “common sense” beyond the BBQ tongs in their comfortable backyard.
So to get started I will dip into the Game of Thrones and, hopefully, you readers will give it some thought. Regarding this latest bonus to the Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health (and no insult to Dr. Hinshaw, it is my belief she was muzzled by ideological rhetoric), $228,000 in bonus money for the difficult challenge of COVID. Meanwhile this government threatened to lay off 11,000 healthcare workers, clinics and urgent care centres closing due to lack of staff. Jason Copping…CONFESS
The UCP is facing potential job action by a variety of defence lawyers organizations due to lack of adequate funding of legal aid. This could result in hundreds of waiting court cases being thrown due to the inability to have their case heard in a timely manner. You think unrest on the streets is bad now, give it two years. Think people, this is not a problem with our judicial system (not saying it’s perfect) but the cause isn’t the system, it’s a government who refuse to provide adequate funding. And for the Justice Minister, himself a lawyer, to ignore the request to meet the legitimate date set out in the request from other lawyer to discuss this, to me, goes far beyond dereliction of duty. Shandro…CONFESS
For an Education Minister who has a two year Diploma of Disability Studies from Humber College in Toronto (I lived in Toronto for three years just a few miles from Humber). That’s like comparing (no disrespect to Marvel Beauty School) Marvel Hairdressing School to the Alberta Academy of Aesthetics but this is the Education Minister developing K – 6 curriculum, please. LaGrange…CONFESS
And for who is consider a “front runner” for the new leadership (and Premiers position) to lay the blame for cancer victims on the victims goes beyond the pale. I was seven years old when I watched the life drain out of the 5 year old roommate in the Children’s Hospital (followed by five others by the time I was 12 so I do have my own demons on the hospital death of children). But for Danielle Smith (or as I like to refer to her, the Hilly Holbrook of the 21st century) is particularly hard to swallow. Danielle Smith…CONFESS
And of those still reading this…ATTONE while you still have the chance. Wake up, realize words matter, not optics and quit living in your silo, there are lots of other silo’s around but any good farmer will tell you they need all of their silo’s working together. You don’t store your grain with your canola or corn…
RANT COMPLETE…for now.
A Poster Child's Perspective 