Becoming Comfortably Afraid

As you may or may not have heard, the Alberta election results have us living with a United Conservative Party (far right) government for another four years.  It is devastating for those of us who believe that governments are elected to take care of its people first.  Education, Health, Climate Change and Nature are not amongst this government's top priorities.

In fact, the goings-on around here indicate that we are sliding back as a civilisation. During the month leading up to the election, V. and I attended a political forum in our town where the NDP candidate was laughed, gestured and jeered at, heckled, and name-called. A UCP MP running for re-election called the female NDP candidate: "a f-ing c-word" to be exact.  None of this motivated the chairperson to call a halt to the abuse but when one man asked the loud participants to pipe down, the chairperson told him to be quiet and that if he kept intruding, he would be asked to leave. Clearly, even he was intimidated by the block of unruly UCP followers.

The UCP's platform was based on a series of not quite true facts which did not seem to bother any of their followers.  Who cares about the truth when you want to WIN, right?

The world feels upside down. Truth, integrity and civility are no longer held up as values. It seems the points go to the raucous, the rude and the lying.  When this cartoon came up on Facebook I had to save it as it explains in few words how I feel the direction my province and other parts of the world are taking.

To say that the forum and the election results have shaken me to the core is an understatement.  In fact, it has taken me a few days to be able to give form to my thoughts and to dare to put out this post about how I feel. 

As is always the case when I am thrown off balance, I look to books for comfort and advice. Michelle Obama provides a good dose of both in her most recent book.

One of the tools Obama suggests is that we learn to become "comfortably afraid" with how things are so as to not become paralyzed with fear and lose our agency.  Agency is our most precious defense against what is most ugly in the world. The thing to avoid is withdrawal because that is when the ugly wins.

And here is another tool to add to your tool box. My friend Danielle gave me a list of things to say when you hear ugly words.  These formulas might give the person speaking pause...

• That's not ok with me
• I find that offensive
• Hold on... I need to process what you are saying
• I'm not comfortable with that
• I'm sorry, what?
• Help me to understand what you're saying...
• What you just said is harmful
• That's not funny

Meanwhile...