It was kinda funny when Doug Ford showed up hawking cheap beer. Kinda. But it stopped being funny a long time ago.
Fast forward to 2021.
We now have a massive pile (words purposely chosen) of…
/1
…failures, hostility, disinformation, and outright attacks on the very things that many hold dear in this province: healthcare, education, care of our elderly, key elements of our social safety net, and the environment to name but a few…
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…and much / all of it has been in the interest of privatization, corporate greed, cronyism, self-service, self-promotion, ego and pure profit.
In addition, this government has sowed division and hate. Racists have been subtly, and not so subtly, nudged into action.
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Responsibility and accountability have been shunned in favour of deflection, gaslighting, and scapegoating. And all the while, media puppets like Brian Lilley parrot the party propaganda at the expense of real truth.
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The time for empty platitudes, lip service, and hollow social media messages is over.
We are calling you all out. We demand action.
Do something.
I think I can speak for speak for many when I say that we are ready to help.
But it is time for action.
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We challenge you.
Put ego and party politics aside. Unite us. There is a very real danger at our door seeking to dismantle this province.
Act or ignore. But your choices will speak volumes over the coming year.
In light of the sudden outcry for the (potentially) premature return to school by people who are ‘newly’ concerned about youth mental health...
I’ll echo the thoughts of many friends/colleagues when I say:
“Where were you before now?”
I’m reminded of a student...
...of mine from earlier in my career. She struggled with mental health issues and often flirted with suicide. In addition to reporting the situation (as my job required), there were a number of occasions where I counselled her, and encouraged her to ‘stay with us’...
...and to keep moving forward. I specifically remember telling her that the world was a better place with her in it.
Thankfully, she did ‘stay’, and is now married with kids of her own.
Her story is a happy one. But I’ve also witnessed students (too many)...
2007 - charged with uttering death threats against MP Jeff Watson.
2010 - Campaign manager / chief of staff for Rob Ford. (Kouvalis was once described as the ‘Ford Whisperer’.
2011 - Engaged in purposeful disinformation campaign about Irwin Cotler’s “upcoming retirement”.
2016 - Pleads guilty to driving under the influence.
2017 - Campaign manager for Trumpian Con leadership candidate Kellie Leitch.
2017 - Resigns after calling U of W prof Emmett Macfarlane a ‘traitor’ and a ‘cuck’.
2017 - Charged with public intoxication and break / enter into a Kelsey’s restaurant.
More recently...
2021 - Hired as Doug Ford’s senior adviser.
This past week, as a ‘start-to-the-day-reflection’, I shared one of those “If the World Was A Village of 100 People” type videos with my class.
I’ve seen them before. But the stats are always sobering.
Eg.
15% are illiterate.
13% have no clean water.
20% don’t have electricity. 25% don’t have adequate shelter.
75% don’t have internet access.
90% can’t access post secondary education.
A staggering 70% are malnourished.
1% are starving...a ‘small’ number, but that translates to 75 million people.
What does it all mean?
It means that despite the struggles of the past year...with lockdowns, masks, sanitizing, virtual this and that...in many ways, we’re very lucky.
In no way does this minimize the suffering that COVID has brought...particularly with those in LTC homes, those who have...
...spirals out of control and attacks @goldsbie calling him a cave dweller, but inadvertently confirms the story. 6. @codymwelton furiously deletes tweets after realizing that his tweets contradict his “we respect all journalists” comment. 7. @fordnation staffer @traviskann...
...also attempts damage control but fails. 8. Conflict of interest investigation bound to happen. 9. #brivana#yelley and #BrianLilley are trending 10. Chickens come home to roost. 11. Something about Karma and her mood swings. 12. @codymwelton has shitty taste in beer.