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LETTER: 'The truck convoy is rooted in selfishness'

'The convoy and supporters believe so strongly in their own freedoms, they are willing to throw away everyone else's,' says letter writer
20220127 Freedom Convoy KA 11
A Freedom Convoy 2022 RV that has signatures from people across the country.

GuelphToday received the following letter from Olivia Stronks regarding the Freedom Convoy:

My generation was raised on The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Maze Runner. We grew up idolizing teenagers who weren’t afraid to stand up for a cause. I dreamt of the day when I would believe in something so passionately, I would risk anything to achieve it. Today, I see Canada banding together, standing up, and trying to make a difference.

But there’s a big difference between my childhood heroes and a convoy of anti-vax truckers. Canada isn’t fighting to free the country from a tyrannical leader. They aren’t trying to save lives, end centuries of oppression, or fight the patriarchy.

These ‘revolutionaries have just one thing on their minds: themselves. The convoy and supporters believe so strongly in their own freedoms, they are willing to throw away everyone else's.

The sick children in the hospital, the immune-compromised, the elderly, and the caretakers are relying on the majority being vaccinated. Our compliance helps guarantee their safety. But these Canadians don’t seem to care about the countless people who rely on the majority being vaccinated to survive.

And consider the message this sends to the rest of the world. Are Canadians going to stand up for the Indigenous communities who don’t have access to clean water? Nope. Are we going to raise funds to help people access basic human necessities? Nah.

Will we speak up against the homophobia running rampant, or the thousands of Indigenous children whose bodies have been dug up, or the mental health issues being exacerbated by the pandemic, or the impending climate crisis? Also no. The minute we are asked to put others before ourselves; however, we will riot. We will fight. We will make headlines.

Once again, it is revealed that our peaceful, polite reputation is rooted in our refusal to consider other perspectives, other people, and other sources. We had the chance to create a beautiful story about a country standing together to fight injustices. Instead, we are a country coming together to put our own ‘freedoms’ above the lives of our fellow citizens. Why are we rallying for a more inaccessible present when we should be standing up for a brighter future?

- Olivia Stronks