Check it Out: What’s the right thing to do?
By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com
Rising gas prices have made beer cheaper than the cost of gas. Now people have more reason than ever to do the right thing .... drink beer and don’t drive.
Regarding doing the right thing, Prime Minister Trudeau recently said, “Make no mistake Russia’s attack on Ukraine is also an attack on democracy, on human rights and on freedom. Russia’s actions stand in direct opposition to the democratic principals that generations of Canadians have fought to protect. Democracies and democratic leaders must come together to defend these principals and stand firmly against authoritarianism.”
Trudeau backed up his statement by leaving for Europe last Sunday to meet with leaders in the United Kingdom, Latvia, Germany and Poland. A senior government official said Trudeau’s office sees value in face-to-face meetings with allies. While it’s good to see our Prime Minister’s prompt response to this international situation, his response to Canadians is much different.
His apparent value of face-to-face meetings was not evident when he refused to take a short walk to meet with Canadians who were protesting outside his front door. Not only did he refuse to listen to them, meet with them or speak to them, he resorted to name calling ... extremists, racists with unacceptable views.
The Prime Minister had more to say regarding the Ukraine, “We‘ve come to a moment that we’ve seen coming over the past years. We’ve talked about it in the news, not just about the Ukraine, but democracies throughout the world. We see a bit of a slippage in our democracies. Countries turning toward slightly more authoritarian leaders.” Is it authoritarian to treat protestors differently depending on what cause they are protesting?
The PM went on to say, “Countries are allowing increasing misinformation and disinformation to be shared on social media, turning people against the values and principles of democracy that are so strong.” Is that why the federal government is introducing new censorship legislation in Canada? Would this legislation muzzle critics while promoting messages the government wants you to see?
Meanwhile the legacy media’s narrative regarding the trucker’s protest appeared to closely follow that of the Prime Minister. This has caused a mistrust of what people hear from the legacy press, even when their reporting on the recent international crisis has been accurate.
Regarding the international crisis, our federal environment minister said Canada is not the solution to the energy security crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. Dave Yeager, an oil and gas industry analyst said, “The bad guys are intentionally using their significant oil and gas exports as a geopolitical weapon for nefarious purposes. The good guys like Canada have been intentionally withholding new oil and gas supplies and exports to save the world from climate change.”
The truth is Canada’s responsible energy supply can help end dependence on oil and gas from dictator states like Russia. Pierre Poilievre, MP, noted that unleashing Canadian energy would take money away from dictators and give pay cheques to Canadians instead.
Meanwhile the people with boots on the ground in the Ukraine are displaying their courage for the world to see. A pastor in Poland said, “I see people risk a lot to take people on foot to the border and back again, multiple times a day, for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do. Men volunteer sixteen hours a day to drive people to the border and drive back again. As sad as the situation is, at the local level the absolute best in human nature comes out.”
Canadians need leadership that will follow the example of the brave citizens in the Ukraine and Poland, and make decisions, for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do.