A Day After Election in Alberta

Struggling today a bit ... During this crazy time here in the ole USofA I have always been able to lean on the fact that i could go home if things got really bad. Back to a place where people were more ... Canadian. The news in Alberta is a direct and complete rebuttal of that notion. If you don't believe in the NDP's policies, fine. She seems to have more than enough results in the positive, but fine. But to vote for a piece of shit like Kenney? Like trump, that dude transcends policy. He's horrible. By any even semi-objective metric, this guy is not fit to hold office and yet ... a majority. It's disheartening.
I think the most crushing thing for me is ... I am not living in the world I thought I was. I mean I always thought it was bad out there but not in my wildest dreams did I think that it was this bad. So many people are racist. They are. So many people are misogynists. They are. So many. Brown people are nonplussed of course. I, as a white, heterosexual middle aged dude, has floated along blissfully in my arts bubble. Thinking naively ... Yeah, it's not that bad and it's getting better. It's is and it might be but holy fuck. Trump, Kenney ... These guys are fucking monsters. They are bad people who stand for horrible things. And the people who voted for them didn't just appear, they were always here. Just quiet for the time being. Waiting - they do that really well. Waiting for their time when someone would rise and stand for traditional values and whatever else ... I grew up in a conservative area. Some of my friends are conservative. People who I grew up with. Came of age with. And who I am bonded for life. But some of the reductionist, simplistic and and misleading stuff they post ...? Fuck man. I dunno. It's tough, I see people who I know are inherently good and nice people aligning themselves with horrible people.
And the worst part is that I don't think there's anything that I could post, do or say that would change their minds ... or them mine I guess. But I do believe, with all that I am, that the progressive agenda is on the right side of history. That, while it's not perfect by any stretch ... and the people in it aren't perfect, they're flawed as well ... It's far better than the alternative. What's Kenney gonna do for climate change? What's Kenney gonna do for refugees and immigrants? These are the salient issues of our time and, for the next 4 years ... we're fucked.
Maybe this needed to happen. Maybe this is the band aid that I hid under that has now been ripped off. Love wins ... but it's getting tough. But if you're bored and/or silly enough to read this - chances are I love you. No matter how you voted.
Hang in there my friends ... And get busy. Time to do more than just recycle and be a nice person. Time to get some skin in the game. Time to get to work. No more can we/I be passive and take for granted that the world we live in will be a just one. There are dark forces out there and, for the moment, they are winning. And they will continue to unless I get off my ass and do something. Be the change.
And fuck you Kenney. Fuck. You.
Don't get comfortable.

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