Don’t let anti-vaxxers drown out millions of climate voters

We all know a bully — whether you have been bullied, know a friend who has been bullied, or maybe you’ve known yourself to be a bully. As we all know well, the best thing you can do is ignore them. It’s time for Canadian media to learn that lesson — there’s simply too much at stake.

Right now, there are a few hundred anti-vaccine bullies that have been trailing the Liberal party leader at his campaign events, hurling obscenities and slurs every chance they get. Like true bullies, they lash out and expect attention. The parties, candidates and the Canadian public know these people are an unimportant sideshow, but every time the media covers one of their campaign stunts, it encourages them to act out.

It’s critical that the media stop covering these distractions for two reasons.

One: we cannot embolden a fringe group of people who are not willing to engage in any form of dialogue.

Two: the Canadian media plays a critical role in educating the public and fostering a space for dialogue about what matters to Canadians. During a 36-day snap election period, so many important issues are at stake, especially the climate crisis.

Right now, journalists, editors and media outlets across the country are doing me and the other 27 million Canadians eligible to vote a disservice.

The wall-to-wall coverage of a few hundred protesters is dominating the news cycle and setting the political agenda.

But the top election issue on the minds of Canadians is the threat of climate catastrophe. All of the parties have their own nuanced positions, and it’s the media’s responsibility to educate the public about what they will do.

Whether I am speaking to my friends and family from Ontario, Alberta or Quebec, we all have the same anxiety.

As wildfires ravage through the West Coast and heatwaves engulf Central Canada, the signs of the climate crisis are clear. This election happens at a critical moment, and Canadian voters will decide our country’s action on climate change for decades — whether or not we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, halt temperatures from rising to deadly levels, and protect the most precious ecosystems.

For young Canadians like me, climate change will shape our future.

As the largest voting bloc in the country, our generation sees this election as an opportunity to get educated, voice our concerns and demand action from politicians on the most defining issues of our time. Right now, the Canadian media isn’t making it easy.

It’s understandable that anyone might get distracted by an outrageous bully — for a few minutes. But there are still 13 days left in this campaign, so it’s not too late. Let’s learn the lesson: for the next two weeks, I’m calling on journalists, editors and media outlets to move on from the anti-vaxxers already, and do your jobs: help educate the voting public about the candidates’ and parties’ approaches to the climate crisis and our post-pandemic recovery.

Meshall Awan is a regional organizer