By Kevin J Sabo
For the Advance
Alberta is broken and divided.
Fifteen months into a pandemic, with no end in sight, has people tired.
Tired of restrictions. Tired of the constant media environment. Tired of our politicians stumbling from restriction to the next, with little apparent thought or consideration.
Some applaud the announcements of new restrictions, while others denounce them as being against the Charter. Both sides are equally vocal on social media platforms, platforms where people will say things online that they would never dream of saying to someone’s face.
Some support the science the politicians use to guide them through this pandemic, while others flock to conspiracy theories which abound online. Each side is right, each side is wrong, and the leadership provided to date by the United Conservative Party and Jason Kenney has not helped.
To date, the United Conservative Party handling of the pandemic has been absolutely opaque. The premier has been continually making announcements, often with the final documents posted to the web site differing from what has been said.
There is also the perceived lack of enforcement on the restrictions to date. At best, this inconsistency has been causing Albertans to tune out. At worst, people have sent the premier death threats against himself and his mother.
Instead of people working together to get through this crisis, people are fighting, and divided. Compromise doesn’t seem to exist in the new Alberta. Instead, people attack, sniping at each other. Social media is full of vile posts.
With the continual half-measures and inconsistency from the province, instead of bringing people together, our leaders are further dividing the population.
I expect better from Alberta’s leaders. I expect better from Albertans.