Paulsen’s column reveals her biases

Tiffany Paulsen’s column offering a tale of two protests (Hell Hath No Fury) reveals more about her biases than about recent budget protests. I attended both events. There were more similarities than differences in the two gatherings.

Both were well attended by many earnest people. At the Premier’s Dinner, there were teachers, government employees, concerned families, STC passengers, hearing plan users, angry seniors. Union members spoke for their clients and for their livelihoods. There were speeches, songs, chants and, signs. Traffic was disrupted. This is protest.

Some touched vehicles. Union leaders cautioned people to be respectful. A few exhibited extreme behaviour such as yelling and confrontation. So did people in cars. But most of the large crowd was well behaved. Yes, some went too far. If the crowd was as violent as Ms. Paulsen reports, the police would have laid charges. Media coverage focused on the few.

A read-in is different than a rally. I laud the work of those who marshalled the successful library campaign. It wasn’t because they asked politely.

If Ms. Paulsen’s analysis is correct, and the key to reversing budget decisions is civility, the many recent protests, especially the politely noisy SGEU event at the legislature on May 24, would have achieved their aims, and the entire budget would be reversed.

Most of those protests received little media attention. Ms. Paulsen exemplifies those aiming to discredit speaking out. Shame and disgrace belong not to protesters, but to Wall’s government for this brutally cruel budget. Nancy Kelly, Saskatoon