A statement from Irwin Elman former Ontario Child Advocate and NDP Candidate in Don Valley West
“Individuals who place their own self centred, even narcissistic, selfish claim to the right to a foolish attempt to topple a government above a child’s own rights and the right of a child to a duty of care from adults around them. Individuals who would target children. I am too disgusted to have a word for them at the moment”
Earlier this week, Ottawa Police reported that there are approximately 450 vehicles involved in the so called “protest” in Ottawa and that approximately one third of the vehicles had children in them. They were rightly concerned.
Today , CTV reported that Steinbach Secondary School in Manitoba was placed in a “hold and secure” because protesters tried to enter the school. Tonight CBC reported that tonight the Ottawa Board of Education sent parents an email telling them to prepare their children for a potential “shelter in place” tomorrow.
Patrick King, one of the key leaders at the core of the unrest, was on-line today encouraging children to walk out of classes and wear orange shirts-appropriating and mocking a serious gesture we make every September to honour residential school survivors.
This is the same fellow who said on December 21st , 2021 in a video you can easily find by googling, “this can only be resolved by bullets” as he argued for the overthrow of our government.
Earlier today in Ottawa, as reported by Press Progress, elementary school children were taunted and ridiculed on their way to school wearing masks by passengers in a vehicle allegedly part of the debacle in the city
I have nothing to say to those individuals who would place children in harms way. Individuals who immerse children in a cesspool of ideology. White supremacy, homophobia, and US style domestic terrorism. Its no surprise Trump praised them today. Individuals who place their children at a scene of intensity and conflict, who place selfishly their own self centred claim to the right to protest (above a child’s own rights) above the right of a child to a duty of care from adults around them. I am too disgusted by individuals who would target children to have any words for them at the moment.
I do , however, want to say something to the rest of Ontario witnessing this outrage, particularly those who at one point claimed to understand what this was all about and thought they understood what this was all about and lent their support. You must speak up about this dangerous foolishness and now, you must stand up for children because surely they are watching. This must stop now.
Write a statement, share it with your neighbours. and post it on social media. Email your politicians, faith leaders and other community leaders. Use your sphere of influence. Even though it might feel like you are howling into the wind it is important to use your voice it matters. This must stop now.
I also have something to say to the Ford government. How dare you abdicate your responsibility to us? How dare you decide so cavalierly that you could not and will not do something? How dare you, with your selfish, self entitled ideology and just like Donald Trump in the United States, light the fire that is these extremists in our midst and then turn a blind eye and say “nothing we can do”. How dare you?
Doug Ford you need to act. And you need to act now. I am not asking at this point I am demanding that you act. We know you can we have watched you when you think it serves your political interests. I don’t care if it seems foolish to demand , when I carry no positional authority to do so. I only hope it encourages more of us witnessing your despicable disregard for us and disregard for our Province, to make the same demand.
Our children our watching.