Protests in Muskoka are anti-worker | Letters

After the protests and counter-protests in Huntsville and Bracebridge on September 20 [ and October 21], I was surprised by an image on social media.

The image was yet another sign saying “HELP THE CHILDREN” – a common slogan in last month’s protests. But it also read “STOP THE JABS”, an anti-vax message. This person, sharing their own sign, was one of the organizers prominently featured on YourTV Muskoka’s coverage of the Bracebridge protests.

Huntsville was no different – the person who hosted the Huntsville school walkout had previously run a book signing event calling the pandemic a “fraud”. And according to their Facebook, they are taking these actions because they want to “defund and destroy” our “corrupt” hospitals and schools.

We’ve already seen comments in local media like the Doppler declaring that these protest groups harbour hate, or ignore the real mental health problems faced by our youth.

But these messages also attack the integrity and professionalism of teachers, nurses, and doctors. Whether it is medical workers accused of delivering fake vaccines, or teachers now accused of indoctrinating youth, these attacks share a distrust in expertise. This distrust leaves a hole that can only be filled by misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Health and education require a basic foundation of trust – something that starts in our own community. Our friends and neighbours do not adopt sinister agendas when they go to work in the morning. Instead they use their hard-earned experience and education to deliver for us, by winning better outcomes for our families in healthcare and in school. We’ve also seen time and time again how they are willing to fight for better conditions in our public services, which benefit everyone.

This reality isn’t compatible with the world of conspiracy theorists.

So when I see signs that accuse teachers of being complicit in a plan to harm kids, I just have one thought to offer: Muskoka, we can do better than this for our workers.

Jeff Robertson

Huntsville, ON

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