Protest or Rebellion?

In light of what has occurred recently, I want to set the record straight. It is my stance that Covid-19 is a real thing, is dangerous, is spread through aerosolized droplets expelled with each breath, and is managed mainly through social distancing and mask wearing. In my understanding, Covid-19 vaccinations are a way to speed up the movement toward herd immunity, but with the limitations that have presented with a rise in infections around the globe, especially in countries that are major producers of some vaccine brands, the race toward the light at the end of the tunnel must include actions by each and every individual Canadian.

Fighting this pandemic requires sacrifice.

The very definition of the word acknowledges distaste for the choices.

Nobody likes being asked to stay at home, away from loved ones and friends, wearing a mask whenever away from the home and among others.

Events occurring in cities around Simcoe County have shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of life in Covid-19 imposed conditions when 100's of people chose to ignore the doctors, nurses, and researchers who have warned society of the very real threat to life that a Covid-19 infection can cause. Even with the nightly news reports about the rising death toll, filling of hospital ICU's, and potential burnout of frontline health care workers, this rebellion ... let's call it what it truly is ... is fuelled by sheer selfishness, IMHO. At the risk of insulting the intelligence of those who chose to be involved, I feel compelled to call out the magnitude of myopic disregard for others that was at the center of the gathering.

The organizers of what was advertised as protest were in fact promoting a movement, “rooted in conspiracy, pseudo-science and, more prominently, hate.” (source) with one of the main draws Saturday being People’s Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier. “I’m looking right now at what is happening in our country. I’m looking at what happened in communist China and I feel like I am not in Canada anymore,” said Bernier. “I’m a proud Canadian like you and we need to always fight for our freedom, because right now we cannot take our freedom for granted anymore.” Organizer Tyler Nicholson adds, “We do not support any of the mandates, because it’s illegal to force any medical practice on the populace.”

Excuse me?

Mr Bernier and Mr Nicholson are neither trained medical professionals nor health field researchers. I would completely disagree with Bernier's assertion that Canada is in any, way, shape or form similar to China's communist government. How can you argue for freedom when the practice of what you label as freedom poses a very real threat to the health of your fellow Canadians that you say you're proud to be a part of. IMO, no one is forcing a medical practice on anyone else. Quite the opposite, actually, the measures are to save people from invasive medical procedures like intubation for a ventilator, the last stitch effort to save a Covid-19 infected person's life as the virus slowly destroys the CVS. The damage some suffer at the hands of the coronavirus is not open for debate or discussion! It is a well documented fact that protocols, when ignored in the guise of a protest, permit the virus to exercise its genetic programming through advancing the spread, allowing for mutations that enhance both its virility and morbidity. The recent outbreak in India is a crystal clear message to the rest of the planet of the veracity of this virus' mandate with over 300 000 new infections per day ... PER DAY! 

In a recent article by Global News (source), Barrie city council penned an open letter to people who were planning on attending an in-person demonstration to protest the province-wide COVID-19 lockdown. “You are endangering the very people you think you are advocating for by making it unsafe for them to be in a public square,” council said in the letter.

One point I am struggling with is the legal system's reaction to these "protests". When the stay-at-home measures were announced, special attention was granted to enhance the powers of law enforcement to deal with people who choose to ignore the edict, and since the announcement, the nightly news has included a variety of stories about fines being handed out to a wide variety of said people flouting the order. I would ask the question why an angry hoard, hiding behind some archaic and incorrectly interpreted point of law, is permitted without fines being levied. Some of the articles I have included above report that a handful of organizers have received fines, but what about the overwhelming majority? I acknowledge that it places our local constabulary in a tough spot, but they did willing accept the duties of the job when they were hired, including duties that are not pleasant. On a personal level, why can I no longer go for a buddy ride with some of my like-minded cyclists without fear of repercussions while 100's can gather, shoulder to shoulder, sans masks, to voice their displeasure at being inconvenienced ... not oppressed or persecuted ... simply inconvenienced?

I have struggled to understand this Anti-Mask movement. Rather than engage in a war of words, leading inevitably to the definition of madness ... banging your head against a wall ... I have tried to find papers and reports that attempt to shine light on the mentality of those who adopt this stance, with the goal of figuratively walking a mile in their shoes. One such article comes from McGill.ca (source) outlines some interesting points. Most people wear a mask as part of their pandemic-altered routine, unofficially totalling 83% of Canadians by recent estimates, but an unavoidable minority of people who pushback against donning a simple face covering hides many bones of contention. This article goes on to assert political allegiance has some impact asserting it was people who supported the Bloc Québécois, but it is now supporters of the Conservative party who, on average, tend to leave masks behind in larger numbers as time goes on. The author Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. poses the theory that reasons fall into 5 categories:

The first has to do with “medical issues" as justification ... Soundly rebuked by doctors.
The second category relates to people disliking how wearing a mask makes them feel ... Sacrifice?

The third category of anti-mask arguments are based on distorting the science ... Misinformation!
The fourth category surrounds reasoning that personal freedom is paramount ... vs the Greater Good?
The fifth and deepest category is this is all part of a government conspiracy ... Seriously?

One of the greatest rights enshrined in the Canadian Charter is being able to hold an opinion and speak about it openly, without fear of legal reprisal. As with all rights, this comes with the responsibility to refrain from personal attack and hate speech. As such, I offer these thoughts as my own informed opinion and welcome calmly worded oppositional discourse, but like those memes that circulate posing an issue and a challenge to "change my mind", I feel strongly that those supporting these rebellions are selfish, myopic, and self-serving, while dangerously promoting actions that threaten the welfare of fellow citizens.

To be perfectly blunt, this needs to stop ... right now ... forever.