Is Aloha-gate mess really worth all that anger?
Politicians' decisions to travel are baffling, but this pandemic calls for some positivity
The vast majority of Albertans feel disgust and anger about United Conservative politicians flying off to hot spots over the Christmas vacation.
Longtime political commentators and reporters say they've never seen people so mad. I found something similar when I conducted an online poll on Aloha-gate, with about 70 per cent of respondents ticking off the “disgust and anger” box in terms of their reaction.
The outrage makes sense. Some folks feel extremely vulnerable to the coronavirus, either on their own account or in regards to a loved one. Anything that increases risk of spread quite rightly makes them bristle.
But it was a different outraged group, representing a significant part of the UCP base, that I suspect swayed Premier Jason Kenney to change his position and demote his party's six travelling MLAS. This liberty-loving group is uneasy with the extent of job-killing lockdown measures. They can't fathom that Ucpers would impose such harsh rules, ask everyone else to huddle at home, then jet-set off to bake on a beach.
Again, the anger is reasonable. But what of the 30 per cent in my poll who don't share the outrage?
In the storm of wrath, we haven't heard much from this group, which includes me. Today I'll dig into our mindset. No doubt what I have to say will be unpopular and even offensive to some, but that's the main value I have. If I say only things that most of you already strongly believe, do I have any worth or credibility?
First off, there are varied reasons people are in the “other” category. Some folks say that a handful of travelling politicians has no real impact on their life, so why get upset?
Others see Aloha-gate as runof-the-mill political hypocrisy, a mistake but not a firing offence, especially as they believe scandals of the Trudeau Liberals are easily forgiven.
Some say that the travel guidelines are just that, guidelines and not a legal ban, so all Albertans, including politicians, should be free to travel.
It's fair to say governments have given mixed messages on non-essential travel, discouraging it at times but permitting programs that make it easier to fly, including Westjet and Air Canada entering into a program in November with Hawaii to exempt pre-tested travellers from quarantine upon arrival.
Perhaps the most common belief in the “other” group is that airplane travel is generally safe. A Harvard study found that a program of proper airline safety precautions “reduces the risk of SARS-COV-2 transmission onboard aircraft below that of other routine activities during the pandemic, such as grocery shopping or eating out.”
Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said as recently as Nov. 10 there have been just “extremely rare reports” of transmission aboard aircraft.
We're constantly exhorted to follow the science. The science here tells us there's some risk associated with airplane travel but it's no super-spreader event like a big house gathering.
My own relative calm regarding Aloha-gate is also rooted in attempting to stay sane until the brutal days of the pandemic are over.
Yes, I still get enraged when governments are slow to procure or administer vaccine, but I'm striving to be more understanding overall.
Early in the pandemic, anger often boiled up in me at folks who failed to wear masks and/ or were coughing in public. I also silently raged at passing joggers, smokers and cyclists.
Over time, though, I've realized that we all need to exercise. I now simply hold my breath around joggers and cyclists on multi-use trails. When I see a smoker, I move far away. When I see someone without a mask, I shrug it off, knowing that almost all of us wear them, and that likely will succeed in slowing COVID spread.
As for public coughing, maybe that person has some other chronic health condition.
I've tried to raise my level of empathy. I also accept that most everyone will break a public health guideline now and then, either by mistake or intentionally.
Am I really going to lose it if you shop at the mall for your own pleasure? Or fail to physically distance now and then?
I'm not looking for pandemic perfect, just good enough.
Regarding Aloha-gate, I'm still baffled how any political leader would be so tone deaf as to enact strict quarantine rules, then get on a plane to travel.
But add it all up and I accept that some folks, including politicians, will still crave their winter getaways. I take it as just one more thing to shrug off in this gruelling marathon.