While having a coffee and ruminating in our vehicle, on our way to yet another gig, the lead guitarist was lamenting the state of politics in the world, and in Canada more specifically.
I think his concern could be summed up as, ‘If people are going to vote, they should be well informed. But, sadly, most people are not. They might think they are but they are not.’
We tossed some thoughts back and forth for a while, but came to no conclusion/solution.
Later, it brought to mind a quote by Issac Asimov to wit: ‘Your ignorance is not the same as their experience. Genuinely smart people look for answers from people who are smarter than themselves. Only ignorant people believe their guess is as good as anyone else’s.’
Which brings us to one of our more pressing issuesright now…apart from a totally unnecessary/un-wanted election…the issue of vaccinations and the ap- pearance of angry protests.
A Ms. M-E Robinson, in a letter to The Toronto Star said, ‘The odds of dying from COVID-19 are so low for most people, that there is no justification for
mandatory vaccinations in most workplaces.’ She adds, ‘There is no good reason why most unvaccinated individuals should have to chose between their job and the jab.’
It is noteworthy that this person is writing from Edmonton. Ah yes, Alberta! Where now, the righteously un-jabbed are being offered $100 to get vaccinated.
Why? Perhaps the number of people in hospitals and ICU’s might give an insight.
And while we are on the topic of strange things happening in our country…
“Across Canada you have the travelling Marathon of Rage that is following Justin Trudeau, shouting racial slurs at cops, and spouting bizarre imported conspiracy theories.
Amongst the vaccinated you have an empathy deficit that has some posting on social media, ‘let them die’.” (Toronto Star, Sept. 3)
In Vancouver, ‘a paramedic with more than 30 years experience says she is disheartened and on the verge of quitting after the protests against mandatory COVID-19 vaccines and
vaccine passports that took place Wednesday outside hospitals across the country.’ (CBC News, Sept. 4)
In an election that was not necessary–that was not being called for by great numbers in our usually pragmatic nation, several things have come to light: we may not be as nice as
we thought we were. We might not be as bright as we once thought we were. And, we might be a lot more angry about things in general than we thought we were.
And as the guitarist and I asked as we headed off to enjoy playing some music, ‘Whatever happened to civil discourse? Why are people not as smart and as well-informed as they once were.
What is happening to our wonderful country? What will our elections and society look like for the next generation?
‘Something’s happening here…’ What it is ain’t exactly clear. There’s a man with a gun
over there, Telling me I got to beware.
Think it’s time we stopped, Hey, What’s that sound, Everybody look
what’s goin’ down…’
(Stephen Stills, 1966)
55 years ago, they had
problems too.
Peter Johnson
