Dear Editor:
It’s interesting to see the contrast in the behaviour of some Canadians in the face of a common enemy, compared with the Ukrainians.
Our common enemy – an invisible one – was COVID-19. Most of us pulled together, listened to the medical advice, made some temporary sacrifices, and were careful for the benefit and safety of each other. And we are winning.
Some 10 per cent of us, however, feel that their own “rights” and interests trump the common good; their comfort is more important than the health of their families, friends and neighbours. They consider that a noisy, prolonged street party is a “fight for freedom.”
In contrast, when faced with a common enemy – a Russian invasion – Ukrainians have temporarily (we hope) given up their most basic rights of safety, shelter and their families’ well-being. They have not “done their own research” on dodgy websites and concluded that the invasion is a hoax. Instead they have tearfully kissed their fleeing loved ones goodbye – possibly forever – and then picked up rifles and Molotov cocktails before walking out to face down oncoming Russian tanks. They have struggled day and night to put out fires and rescue people trapped in the basements of bombed-out buildings before the next round of shelling begins.
That is a genuine fight for freedom.
So to those people who honked their way through Fergus on Saturday, I say this: grow up. Get over yourselves. Realize that your petty complaints sound like the whining of a spoiled child.
And if you still want to fight for freedom, go to Ukraine. They can use the help. And it might give you a sense of perspective, which you sorely need.
Jane Schickerowsky,
Fergus