About Those Truckers Outside
'My new neighbours are not a monstrous faceless occupying mob. They are our moral conscience.'
During the first week of the Freedom Convoy protest, Ottawa resident David Maybury published a firsthand account of what it was like living “right in the middle of the trucker convoy protest. They are literally camped out below my bedroom window,” he declared.
Having heard many unpleasant things about the protesters from “reporters and columnists who write from distant vantage points,” David - a data scientist employed by the federal government - decided to check things out for himself.
In a fabulous essay titled A night with the untouchables, he describes taking a stroll one evening. Every word is worth reading. Here’s how it ends:
As I finally made my way back home, after talking to dozens of truckers into the night, I realized I met someone from every province except [Prince Edward Island]. They all have a deep love for this country. They believe in it. They believe in Canadians. These are the people that Canada relies on to build its infrastructure, deliver its goods, and fill the ranks of its military in times of war.
The overwhelming concern they have is that the vaccine mandates are creating an untouchable class of Canadians…they see their government willing to push a class of people outside the boundaries of society, deny them a livelihood, and deny them full membership in the most welcoming country in the world; and they said enough.
Last night I learned my new neighbours are not a monstrous faceless occupying mob. They are our moral conscience reminding us – with every blow of their horns – what we should have never forgotten: We are not a country that makes an untouchable class out of our citizens. [bold added]
WOW - not since Christine Anderson’s denouncement of Trudeau at the European Parliament last year have I be so encouraged by David’s honest and accurate letter. I read a good number of the comments he received but the one from Bill Gardener has me upset - he ended by saying we should all leave Ottawa and settle our concerns via the next election. I live in Oxford and as one of four ridings had a chance to do just that and the results have left me disgusted and discouraged! In the 2021 election, the received 5,542,360 votes - 32% - which earned them 159 seats (47%) - 34,858 votes per seat earned. The People’s Party of Canada earned 842,969 votes and received zero seats with 5 % of the total votes - at the 34,858 per liberal seat rate that should have earned them 24 Seats! - SOME DEMOCRACY EH??? Fast forward to Monday June 2023 my ex MP David MacKenzie a Concervative who held my riding for 17 years (who didn’t once visit the convoy in Ottawa) resigned and forced a bi-election in which he endorsed the Liberal Candidate!!! - This election the PPC in my riding received only 1,248 votes (18.8 % of previous election) - the Conservatives received 16,144 votes (down from previous 29,034) - the NDP received 3,931 votes (down from 11,231 votes) - but get this -- the Liberal party received 13,574 votes - up from 12,231 votes in 2021 - an increase of 1,011 votes or 8 % higher). Meanwhile in Portage - Lisgar Manitoba where Maxine Bernier (4 th election to regain a seat in Canada’s Parliament), came in Second with 5,349 votes behind the Conservative’s 20,215 votes. Does anyone else beside me and a few others not realize how bad things have gotten in Canada over the past 8 years? Do we not realize that these days are the beginning of the end of days - that the next election will either make or break this country? This 79 year old RABID CANADIAN FREEDOM FIGHTER believes we are doomed and I believe when I take my last breath I will be regretting what my children and grandchildren will be facing and I’ll no longer be astound to try to protect their future!!!
I cannot see a way to acknowledge David Maybury’s essay on his post so I hope he sees my comment here about how much I enjoyed and appreciated reading of his experience and esp hearing the truckers didn’t honk after 6 pm. So many believe they were disturbing residents all night.. thanks for another excellent post Donna..