“Can we talk?” - Joan Rivers
Canada needs to talk. Talk about the one thing hitting our most vulnerable citizens where they live.
Let’s start with the standoff, and how we can reach a stand down. Let’s get Canadian about this and get everyone to the table.
Everyone.
Make it a summit. Like we see our Prime Minister travelling the world to attend, except make it here — make it public — make it count.
The Middle this week is really very simple, it sits somewhere between “lock ‘em up” and “my freedom of speech covers everything, including blocking people from their workplace.”
The government should not be locking up citizens who want to demonstrate. However, it cannot allow carte blanche to activist extremists who arrive at the BC Premier’s house to scare the living daylights out of his wife.
This is not who we are.
Politicians need to admit they’ve brought us to here — and protesters should understand that bringing the Canadian economy to its knees is not democracy.
So, how do we move forward with polarizing sides searching for common ground that fits everyone’s needs? Keep talking. Keep the protests moving, literally.
The Middle this week has no real answers to this standoff. If I did, I’d have a much fatter bank account. But I can see that becoming extremists – whether political or protesting, won’t fix anything.
Protesters? Make noise, be a pain in the ass — but be Canadian enough to realize that being heard is the goal. Recognize that our biggest Canadian problem isn’t even on the radar in MOST countries on this planet.
Our precious privilege, and bubble wrapped righteousness, is high comedy to a massive chunk of this planet. Stop for just one moment and think of those who would give their eyeteeth for the freedoms of Canadian life in 2020. You do yourselves and your movement a huge disservice by making one protest about every wrong ever logged.
So briefly stop traffic, grab attention, and then let that traffic move again. Shutting down rail lines and ports is not helping the cause. It’s turning off citizens who’d otherwise stand with you.
Try grabbing headlines without crushing the economy, which will disproportionately hit this country’s most vulnerable. Get the coverage — then march on…with a concise message. Have a call to action. But protests about everything are really about nothing.
These protests have been light on the actual call beyond “I stand with….” The Wet’suwet’en have asked ALL protesters to stand down, that they – and only they — will deliver their message.
There needs to be specific points to cover to move forward — to truly TALK. Wet’suwet’en to Wet’suwet’en and then Wet’suwet’en to government.
Real Canadian dialogue.
Jody Vance is a born and raised Vancouverite who’s spent 30 years in both local and national media. The first woman in the history of Canadian TV to host her own sports show in primetime, since 2011 she’s been working in both TV and radio covering news and current affairs.
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