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Armchair Activism
Apr. 16th, 2020 11:08 amSuppose they gave a protest march and nobody came?
Alternatively, suppose they gave a protest march and more than five people came?
Maybe they wouldn't get arrested. Getting arrested used to be something of a badge of honour fifty years ago, sort of like crashing the college computer. But would-be protesters would almost certainly get slapped with stiff fines and maybe eventually some post-pandemic prison time.
Thanks to high global literacy and Twitteracy rates, activism is still possible in a Covid 19 world. I might even say that it's our civic duty. And I've never been one to shirk my duties.
Since the lockdown began, I've been reading and writing and typing and e-mailing quite a bit. I sent an e-mail to the National Association of Federal Retirees (NAFR), outlining the despair of an ex-fonctionnaire trapped on one side of the nation's shortest over-defended border. I got a prompt and sympathetic reply, too. Beyond the sympathy, the replier suggested I approach my MP with my concerns, so I did. With a cc to Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors, whom I had heard just minutes earlier, on a robocall phoned out to all NAFR members. I haven't had a reply yet, but I expect it may take a while.
I also decided to send a letter to Galen Weston, or at least to the e-mail provided on the regular e-mails being sent out to Optimum cardholders. I kept it fairly brief, mentioning two things I liked and two things I disliked about the new procedures in place for grocery shopping.
The third issue I got involved in was the matter of library services in general and the Internet Archive in particular. I know I'm not alone in my views on these matters. On the Ottawa front, I was particularly encouraged to hear one of our city councillors on Ottawa Morning, advocating for library delivery services.
At the same time, the aforementioned councillor advocated for something else: allowing people to keep up their community garden plots during this pandemic. It would certainly be a win-win situation for everyone, and one that will loom ever-larger in weeks and months to come. On a larger scale, farmers may be in dire straits indeed if city-run Farmers' Markets are required to stay closed until June 30 and perhaps beyond.
There are many more opportunities for activism, even during a pandemic. We all have our own pet priorities.
So shine a light on your favourite issue. Crowdfund your cause. We don't have to limit ourselves to boring be-ins, solitary sit-ins or sternly-worded stay-ins!
Alternatively, suppose they gave a protest march and more than five people came?
Maybe they wouldn't get arrested. Getting arrested used to be something of a badge of honour fifty years ago, sort of like crashing the college computer. But would-be protesters would almost certainly get slapped with stiff fines and maybe eventually some post-pandemic prison time.
Thanks to high global literacy and Twitteracy rates, activism is still possible in a Covid 19 world. I might even say that it's our civic duty. And I've never been one to shirk my duties.
Since the lockdown began, I've been reading and writing and typing and e-mailing quite a bit. I sent an e-mail to the National Association of Federal Retirees (NAFR), outlining the despair of an ex-fonctionnaire trapped on one side of the nation's shortest over-defended border. I got a prompt and sympathetic reply, too. Beyond the sympathy, the replier suggested I approach my MP with my concerns, so I did. With a cc to Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors, whom I had heard just minutes earlier, on a robocall phoned out to all NAFR members. I haven't had a reply yet, but I expect it may take a while.
I also decided to send a letter to Galen Weston, or at least to the e-mail provided on the regular e-mails being sent out to Optimum cardholders. I kept it fairly brief, mentioning two things I liked and two things I disliked about the new procedures in place for grocery shopping.
The third issue I got involved in was the matter of library services in general and the Internet Archive in particular. I know I'm not alone in my views on these matters. On the Ottawa front, I was particularly encouraged to hear one of our city councillors on Ottawa Morning, advocating for library delivery services.
At the same time, the aforementioned councillor advocated for something else: allowing people to keep up their community garden plots during this pandemic. It would certainly be a win-win situation for everyone, and one that will loom ever-larger in weeks and months to come. On a larger scale, farmers may be in dire straits indeed if city-run Farmers' Markets are required to stay closed until June 30 and perhaps beyond.
There are many more opportunities for activism, even during a pandemic. We all have our own pet priorities.
So shine a light on your favourite issue. Crowdfund your cause. We don't have to limit ourselves to boring be-ins, solitary sit-ins or sternly-worded stay-ins!
