People Need to be More Angry About Important Issues

They also need to stop worrying about whether people are going to like them when they're angry.

I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been accused of over-reacting to a news story in another part of the country, or of “yelling into the void”, or participating in “rage-farming” simply for pointing out the absolute ridiculousness of what some authority figures in this country are getting away with. It’s like people just can’t handle being forced to reckon with what’s plainly in front of their noses. The reality is, these things are there, and will still be there whether I say something about them or not, though maybe if more people said something, some of these problems would actually get fixed a lot quicker.

I write mainly about current events as I understand them and then attempt to add some context. It doesn’t seem to matter much what the topic is, there’s always at least one guy (or gal) who insists on asking me questions like: how does this affect you anyway? Or: why does this upset you so much? Or: why are you over-reacting about this?

So far, no one has asked me why those at the Peel District School Board in Toronto decided to pull half the books off the shelves of their school libraries and send them to the landfill. Or why mobs of students become so totally unhinged at the thought of Jordan Peterson giving a talk at their school. Or why a DEI consultant would go completely off the rails and start lecturing and verbally abusing a principal and calling him a White Supremacist simply for politely challenging a ridiculous statement she made. Are these people not over-reacting? Or is their cause so much more important than that of every other person in the country?

Are these now the types of things we are all just supposed to accept as the natural order? Are we not supposed to get upset when women’s spaces are invaded by men who claim to be women? Or when the government endorses this? And does it really matter if one of those women is not a personal friend or family member? How much actual skin do we need to have in the game before we have a right to say something, or to get upset? Does it really need to be all about me before I can say something about it?

There seems to be no end to straight, white females going on and on about how important it is for trans women to be accepted in society. Or the legions of white, upper-class folks protesting at BLM rallies in 2021. Well, that’s fair enough. You can do what you want and I don’t necessarily disagree with any of that. Nor have I ever asked them why they feel they need to get up and say something about it. This is the reason we have free speech in this part of the world, after all. And I’m so glad we do.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was so much we did wrong as a society. And by “we”, of course I mean our government, but that’s another story. All throughout this period, there were many voices of criticism, and even more voices telling the criticizers to shut up. One thing you never heard from those dissenters was the demand to make the other side stop talking. Rather, these people were pleading for an actual debate, a conversation, a way to find a real solution. It was those on the side of government policy who demanded (and largely succeeded) in shutting the mouths of anyone who disagreed with them. Well, now those people are talking.

When something happens in the US, it’s important for us as Canadians, because it’s a bit like a crystal ball. It’s almost impossible for what happens there to not rub off on us at least a little bit. Still, it’s usually not something I get too bent out of shape about. I mean, we’re a different country with our own laws, and those guys are crazy down there anyway, right? I know, not all of you. I do have a sister there, so I need to be careful…

On the other hand, when things happen in Canada - anywhere in Canada - this is worth paying attention to. And sometimes it’s worth digging down a little bit deeper than what you initially hear on the news. If there is a serious injustice happening in the next province, there’s really no reason it couldn’t come to my door as well. Sometimes these things are worth getting upset about. And more often than not, other people need to know about them, especially with the current state of news in this country. In the age of social media, this is how things change. It’s not the only way, obviously, but it’s an important one.

I used to be amused by how our PM and his bumbling band of bird-brains would just go about assuming that if they thought something was a great idea, then obviously everyone else is just going to agree with them. This explains their continual state of shock and awe when things don't turn out as planned.

I’m less amused now, which is why I feel it’s so important to highlight these issues. Most of what we really need to know (in terms of “news” anyway) is not going to come to us on the six-o’clock news. Not anymore. I’m not saying I’m filling any major holes here, but there are so many holes that need filling these days, the least I can do is stick my finger in one of them. If it helps point a couple of people in the right direction, I’m glad for that. If it pisses off some others, I’m okay with that too. If you’d like to tell me what you think about it, feel free. What we need more than anything else right now is for people to have difficult conversations. We need to stop shutting people up. And really, people need to be more angry at the issues that are facing this country right now, not less. You may think this is unnecessary, that what we really need to do is just show up on election day. We definitely need to do that and this anger is one of the things that will make that happen. Along with that, we also need to learn how to be respectful to those we disagree with if we ever hope to solve any of these issues that are worth getting so upset about. It's a delicate line to walk, but it's also necessary, otherwise, we really are just yelling into the void.

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