Underbelly of `freedom movement' exposed
Youtuber Ruddi Bruce proudly proclaimed to journalists — types known to carry recording devices — at Saturday's “Saskatchewan Freedom Rally” to: “Get the f--- out of here ... Who the hell needs you? We're the news now.”
To the clearly audible cheers of less than 300 anti-maskers/anti-lockdowners gathered in front of the very public Saskatchewan legislature, this keynote speaker's moment of glory was punctuated with one final salute to reporters and camera people: “Get your asses out of here.”
So ended his 15 minutes of fame ... or as it turned out, infamy.
Journalists that were there — never to be intimidated — had already done their work. For this, we should all say “thank you.”
By that point, they had already recorded what's-hisname (henceforth, let's just call him the rally oaf ) launching into a racist, ignorant, xenophobic, anti-immigrant rant against Saskatchewan chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab.
For those who haven't already figured this out,
Saqib Shahab is a man who is defined by decency, dedication and class.
Within hours, it was everyone in the province telling the rally oaf to “get his ass out of here” ... albeit, occasionally in less-crude terms.
“Unless this jackwagon is Aboriginal, he's a generation or two away from a being `foreigner' himself. An irony of which he and folks who think like this seem blissfully unaware. His comments are unworthy of the place in which he is lucky to live,” wrote former Saskatchewan Party premier Brad Wall.
Others should have been equally blunt, including current Premier Scott Moe.
But that some people view that the problem begins and/ or ends with Moe's response — or even the rally oaf — suggests some aren't fully comprehending the problem.
Sure, the rally oaf was right about himself at the rally when he said; “We're the news now.” Reality? He was indeed, but seldom is anyone “the day's news” in a good way.
In fairness, there was only a smattering of chuckles among the anti-mask/ lockdown protest crowd at least when it came to his thinly-veiled, race-based insults of Saskatchewan's lead doctor.
But whether or not it was some or all who approved of this sad, unfunny act, it has forever tainted the “Freedom Rally” movement.
This was not completely lost on chief rabble rouser, fringe-theory promoter Mark Friesen, who desperately tried to distance himself from the rally oaf he recruited by tsk-tsking the bad language and racism as “not reflecting” the crowd and trying to reframe it as a right to free speech. (Really? You had a problem with him dropping f-bombs and babbling racist remarks and you didn't cut off his mic? You are all about free speech and you still have no problem with him telling reporters to f--- off? OK then.)
Here's Friesen's new problem: Come to my rallies, but you'll have to ignore that you're hitching onto a convoy that includes some people with downright unacceptable views and many who subscribe to non-science or misinterpreted nonsense on things like co-morbidity rates. (As per CBC reporter Kendall Latimer, Saskatchewan had 15 influenza-related deaths from September 2019 to March 2020.
Maybe the soft underbelly of the “freedom movement” has been exposed, but know we're still dealing with a prickly porcupine protecting itself.
We need to focus on the real issues and maybe deal with a little understanding, if not sympathy ... even as we pull quills from the dog's mouth.
It simply can't be about the now-disappeared rally oaf. Nor can it be about the silly politics of Moe “only” said the comments directed at Shahab were “beneath contempt” when he could have used stronger words.
We get nowhere if we label everyone worried about lockdowns as xenophobes or racists. We get nowhere if we think the problem is Moe's response or that economic fears begin and end with this “freedom movement.”
Lesson from the rally and its head oaf? Being outraged gets you nowhere. Don't be an extremist. Don't be stupid. Be empathetic.
We'll all get through this faster with a little understanding.