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| Catherine Fife and Debbie Chapman speaking to protesters. |
It feels like we turned a dark corner in Ontario. In my hometown in particular.
Doug Ford came to K-W to be greeted by tons of protesters including overt representation from ETFO, OSSTF, OECTA, CUPE, OBSCU, Liberals, Greens, and, of course, the NDP, which is very strong in the region. Faculty from UW, Laurier, and Conestoga College were all there, along with tons of educators. The Ontario Health Coalition the Waterloo Region Labour Council and the Environmental Defence all played a part in organizing it or advertising it. Tons of healthcare professionals were there and environmental groups and housing groups and ODSP advocates.
Premier Ford had this exchange (0:55-1:28) with educator Ramzi Abdi,
Ford: I look at all the supporters in here. I don't worry about people being bussed in all over the place to demonstrate. [as if his opposition doesn't come from the region]
Abdi: All Ontarians too.
Ford: Absolutely, and I'll take care of them. [vaguely threatening?]
Abdi: You should do a better job of taking care of Ontarians.
Ford: We're doing a good job
Abdi: You're not doing a good job, my friend. Our schools are underfunded. Our hospitals are underfunded. You need to do a better job.
Ford: Guess what, we do, my friend.
Abdi: I understand you think you're trying to do your best, but I know there are people in Ontario who are suffering. There are students in Ontario who are suffering.
Ford: There are people that need homes, and that's what I'm going to do. I'm building homes.
Then some yahoo (a Ford rep? - at 1:36) explained that protesters must have been bussed in because,
"This is small town Southwestern Ontario. These are not people who are used to protesting. . . . This is unprecedented for what I've seen in this area."
A small town is anything under 5,000. We have a population over over half a million. So, WTF?
It's amazing to me how bold the lies are. They don't make sense, and it doesn't matter. It's Trumpian tactics: Just keep saying the same lies over and over until people start to believe them.
But the bone chilling part is in this video clip (from political satirist and lawyer Caryma Sa'd) where Ford says:
"Education focusing on what matters. That's math, writing, arithmetic, engineering, making sure they understand the school responsibility. But most important, most important is the parents' rights. The parents' rights to listen and make sure they are informed when their children make the decision. You know, it's not up to the teachers, it's not up to the school boards to indoctrinate our kids. You know, it's the parents' responsibility to hear what the kids are doing, and not the school boards. I can't even figure out what school boards do nowadays by the way."
And one response to rule them all, because we all know what decision he's talking about:
Ford's words in these clips make it clear he's doubling down on paving the Greenbelt, which has nothing to do with helping the unhoused, but that's the narrative he's using to spin a cash grab into an act of care and altruism. And he's uniting them under the American umbrella of parental rights. And I can't believe how many people, particularly in lower SESs, are buying it.
Nothing he says makes any real sense. Teachers should teach math, writing, arithmetic, and engineering?? He's just manufacturing fear and hatred through this contrived crisis. And THIS, not masks, but THIS RHETORIC is what's divisive. He's forming a following, taking a small but loud and "proud" section of our community and training them to to take down educators, healthcare professionals, environmentalists, and labour unions. He's using Trump tactics of repetition of key phrases and dogwhistles mixed in with a mishmash of words that don't make sense because they don't matter, in order to train his followers to hate and fight against any barriers to his little scheme to siphon out as much money as he can from Ontario, from sales of the Greenbelt, and from property sales of land currently allocated to schools. That'll be next.
Catherine Fife's response is in this clip (from journalist Lorenda Reddekopp):
"We have called for an immediate return of the legislature to return the stolen lands back into the Greenbelt, and we are not going to let up at all. We are going to stand firm against this government. Doug Ford think he's can come to my riding and hand out some hot dogs and hamburgers and forget that he has turned his back on the people of this province?? Not on our watch!"
In the last election, we gave our beautiful province to this clown. If we don't get over 80% of people to the polls in 2026, then we're a lost cause. If we haven't been completely destroyed by then.
"'It's not up to the school boards to indocrinate our kids,' says Ford. That was never the objective, nor is it transpiring. Reassuring students that all are welcome in class is a message that could only spin into indoctrination if your objectives are rooted in homophobia."
@stephenamon_ Replying to @yummysmellsca more ways to help. Doug ford needs to be ashamed. #canada #dougfordisajoke #dougfordhasgottogo #dougford #ontario #onpoli #capoli #2slgbtqia #lgbtqplus #trans #2slgbtqia #nonbinary #twospirit #education #indoctrination ♬ original sound - Stephen Amon
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