eXHAUSTION AND ANXIETY

I am tired, exhausted, feeling numb.  Every single day there seems to be a new atrocity from our southern neighbour.  Threats against Canada’s sovereignty, tariffs designed to destabilize our economy (PS – it’s not working), lies told about Canada to turn Americans against Canadians.  There is no massive amount of fentanyl flowing across the border from Canada to the US.  There are no El Salvadorian gangs crossing the border in massive numbers.  There is no 400% tariff on US dairy.  Canadian fishers are not stealing fish from American waters.  And, believe it or not, US representatives from Wisconsin and Minnesota sending a letter to the US Ambassador to Canada complaining about the smoke from forest fires in Canada.  Are you serious?!?

Then there are the Nazi-like atrocities happening in the US.  Donald’s Dachau.  The Republicans may refer to it as Alligator Alcatraz and the public may refer to it as Alligator Auschwitz.  It is Donald’s Dachau.  Auschwitz was built in Poland.  Dachau was built in Germany and Hitler was very proud of it.  Trump and Temu Barbie Kristi Noem toured this concentration camp and joked about escapees needing to learn how to dodge alligators.  Generators are constantly kicking out, meaning that the prisoners have no access to water.  Food is infested with maggots.  Necessary medications are denied.  And who is sent to these concentration camps?  Human beings who have been ripped from their families by masked, armed ICE agents, fully reminiscent of the Gestapo.  These human beings have no charges brought against them, no access to legal council, no rights whatsoever.

We have Alberta Premier Danielle Smith cozying up to Trump like he is her shining beacon of hope.  We have Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Federal Conservative Party, losing his election and thus his seat in the House of Commons, getting a “do-over” in an Alberta riding to the tune of a minimum of $1.5 million while he continues to squat in Stornaway.  He is no longer the leader of the official opposition and is not eligible to stay in Stornaway as he does not have a seat in the House of Commons.  Yet there he squats in a fully-renovated residence that costs roughly $15,000 a month, plus the expenses of a personal driver, chef, groundskeeper…but he has voted against pharmacare, dental care, $10/day childcare for average Canadians.  Canadian news channels continue to interview Poilievre, seeking his opinion on issues facing Canadians – but do they give any airtime to Bonnie Critchley, the person who is running against Poilievre in the Battle River/Crowfoot riding?  Nope.  I would love to see Poilievre lose this byelection too and then disappear into thin air.  I wish Bonnie Critchley all the success but I fear that, in this highly conservative riding, a person running as an independent candidate has little chance of winning.  Then we will be once again subjected to Poilievre’s divisive, anger-fueled rhetoric and antics daily in the House of Commons.  

I fear the kind of world we are leaving to future generations.  Hate speech has become commonplace with folks hiding behind keyboards and spewing nastiness.  The US has become a fascist state.  Russia continues its attack on Ukraine; Israel continues its genocide of Palestinians (no, this is not anti-Semitic.  You can despise the actions of a country’s leader without hating its people).  I look at the beautiful, innocent faces of my great niece and great nephews and wonder what the world will be like when they come of age.  Will democracy still exist?  Will our planet still exist?

I will continue to fight; I will continue to speak out against evil.  I do have hope as I see world leaders unite to support one another through trade deals, and as folks from all over the world boycott US travel and goods.  I am thankful that we have such a competent leader as PM Mark Carney.  Yes, I will continue to knit in hopes of alleviating a little bit of the stress and anxiety I feel.  And I thank you for the many kind words you have sent my way.  Stay strong, my friends!