Thread by @Norlaine

A lot of people in Canada, not all, but a significant majority, have had fairly safe and consistent lives here, relative to many parts of the world. Hear me out. We have had no wars within our borders, no famines, no coups, no warlords running regions. 1/23

Most of us don't remember when we had to pay for healthcare (pre-1964). We don't have to decide if we should go to the doctor when we are sick because we don't have to worry if we can afford it. We don't have to risk bankruptcy to have surgery or give birth. 2/23

We have social systems like EI, OAS, and various kinds of social assistance when things go sideways (I am not saying these are perfect, they are not. But more than is available in some places). 3/23

We have had the opportunity to attend school, and to send our children to school. (Again, there are some problems, and I am not addressing residential schools here. Bear with me.) 4/23

People in Canada, for the most part, have not experienced what many of our fellow humans around the world have endured, from government death-squads, to tsunamis, to extreme and chronic starvation, to oppressive governments that control every facet of lives. 5/23

I must keep this in mind when I see these truckers going across the country on a fool's errand and see people calling them "freedom fighters" as though they were engaged in some sort of guerilla warfare in a no man's land of hostile wilderness. 6/23

I must keep this in mind when people call for "the right to pay for their medical care". Clearly these people think they have the ability to pay and complete disregard for those who do not. 7/23

I must keep this in mind when I hear people calling public health orders designed to keep people from dying "a fascist dictatorship". I have to remember that we, as a country, have not experienced many of the real hardships experienced by billions around the world. 8/23

I get how easy it is to inflate unusual problems and circumstances into something equivalent to the plight of some other countries. We all have to try to keep some perspective though. 9/23

Being told to wear a mask to protect your community is in no way equivalent to people being rounded up and shot by agents of their government. It is in no way equivalent to relying on bags of rice air-dropped over lines of dispute by aid agencies. 10/23

It is in no way equivalent to having no access to news and information except through officially sanctioned channels. It is in no way equivalent to being jailed without trial. 11/23

It is in no way equivalent to having your neighbourhood shelled and having to leave with your children and what you can carry, making a dangerous journey in hope of finding a safe place to stop. 12/23

And I know, just because terrible things happen in other countries does not mean we should put up with bad things happening here. We do have to be vigilant and protect ourselves from bad governments, exploitive corporations, etc. We need to strive to improve our society. 13/23

But the hyperbole around these yellow vest/trucker protests is completely over the top. You'd think they were storming the beaches at Normandy the way they are going on. They are driving down the frigging TransCanada Highway, making a nuisance of themselves. That's all. 14/23

What they are doing is creating problems on our national highway, which is a lifeline connecting east to west. What about people in NW Ontario, where the TCH is 1 lane each way? What if someone from a small town needs to get to Winnipeg or Thunder Bay for an appointment? 15/23

What if the congestion of trucks causes an accident? Life is full of choices, and bad choices have consequences. Drunk drivers make a choice, and many lose their licences, some go to jail. 16/23

Some are involved in horrific accidents which, if they survive, they have to live with. Why is drunk driving illegal? Because it constitutes a public safety risk. So does being unvaccinated if you are medically able to be vaccinated. 17/23

These anti-vaxxers are all about their rights and freedoms. What about other people's rights and freedoms? Everyone has them. Most people want the right to live their lives without someone voluntarily breathing contagion on them. What about their rights? 18/23

I know some people in Canada face tremendous challenges. But I am pretty sure no one living in real poverty is wasting their time, money, and energy driving an 18-wheeler to Ottawa to make a point. 19/23

We need to put this into perspective. A bunch of very entitled people, who have never known real hardship, not like many millions of other humans live with their whole lives, have decided to disrupt a country because they feel miffed. 20/23

It would be comical if it was not so annoying. And now we have conservative politicians capitalizing on this and trying to drum up shopping frenzies and food hoarding. It's unconscionable. 21/23

Absolutely no one in the public service, including elected officials, should be trying to scare people into panic-buying. It's wrong, it's harmful, and it runs completely counter to what their role should be: to safeguard and promote the public good. 22/23

And, if rumours are true, all these millions being raised "for the truckers" are actually destined for the coffers of a far-right political party that wants to take Alberta out of confederation. The whole thing is a fiasco. Did noone learn anything from the last big convoy? 23/23