That's it, that's the post. It's been a long, dark tea time of the soul and I am very much looking forward to seeing friends without having to go on elongated walks in the freezing cold or whatnot. This lockdown has been incessant (it's been ongoing in Toronto/Ontario in some form since December) all because Doug Ford is an absolute fucking moron.
Mental health is on the decline and businesses have been shuttering like crazy all because Doug is an absolute idiot who won't listen to experts. There's no reason small businesses should ever have been closed, at 25% capacity, yes but closed, no. Now big businesses like Walmart and Canadian Tire? Absolutely they should have been curbside pick-up only (Canadian Tire to their credit has been). It is infinitely easier to control the volume in a small business than to try to regulate the virtual dance parties that seem to be going on in a damn Walmart.
Here's the bottom line, Doug Ford is a Rich, White Cis-Het Man who only cares about other Rich, White Cis-Het Men, "these are the facts." If you voted for him, I'm sorry to say but you may be an idiot, because you really screwed the pooch and hurt a lot of people in the process. Do better next time, truly. It's time for people to realize and understand that voting with only your interests in mind damns the whole world as well as yourself.
Real Talk: You are not an island and you wouldn't have the wine to drink with the dinner you are eating had the vineyard and/or farmer not made or prepared it nor the truck driver not delivered it to the Grocery Store or Wine Rack where the store clerk then sold it to you, all those people should be kept in mind when you are voting, not just yourself.
We are in this toxic, abhorrent situation because of solipsism and individualism and we will not get out of it without abandoning those same notions. For the love of God can we please just do better? Feeding everyone, clothing everyone and giving everyone a place to live should be the bare minimum, people. The bare minimum.
Just as an aside it behooves you to know that Doug Ford's latest dictatorial act (and I truly mean that) involves smothering your constitutional rights in the form of blocking advocacy groups that purchase political advertising, say for example Teachers or Nurses, who he has unequivocally dumped on and endangered via, well everything, I mean, everything.
Now if you haven't been living under a rock in Ontario then surely you know how hard Frontline Workers have been fighting for Paid Sick Days, Vaccinating Hot Spots in conjunction with the Teachers fighting for proper safety measures including diminished class sizes in schools.
You would also be aware of just how acutely Doug Ford ignored every single one of those logical pleas and continued to do whatever he could to help his rich friends, (including giving the Westons COVID testing kits to sell in Shoppers Drug Mart when they were donated to the province) and as the horror show spins on, Doug Ford went to court to try to stop the unions like Teachers and Nurses from running any ads against him (ostensibly detailing his litany of sins to those who were unaware) during Election season. He lost.
Judge Ed Morgan (quite appropriately) ruled Doug Ford's dictatorial efforts unconstitutional, however almost immediately Doug Ford and his cabinet of clowns decided to overturn that rule using the "notwithstanding" clause in the Charter. The "notwithstanding clause" is a clause which a government can use to override personal rights including rights involving free expression (such as this).
This notwithstanding clause is a clause that has never been used as all previous governments (presumably) had some modicum of common sense and decency and perhaps assumed that the Judge presiding had an inkling of an idea what they were doing. Not Doug Ford however. Never Doug Ford.
Prithee hear me as I say this with my chest, if you voted for this (and I hesitate to call him this after all the suffering he has caused) man it is time for your Mea Culpa, it is time to do right by all those around you, all the future those around you and do right by yourself. Vote NDP, tell your friends, tell your family, tell the dog next door. It's time to live in an Ontario that values everyone not just people who conform to the creed, skin colour, ability or sexuality of your choice.
J