An Open Letter to Justin Trudeau

A second, hidden crisis that needs to be treated with sympathy.

Mr. Trudeau,

There are two health care emergencies in this country. I wish to make you more aware of and sympathetic to the second one.

The first, obviously, is the spread of Covid 19 that has lead to many deaths, especially in our aged and vulnerable population. However, the second one is a mental health emergency that is being caused by the attempts to control the first one. I will make the case here that you can and should take actions to relieve the second which will not compromise the first.

This second crisis is a crisis of fear. There are people who are afraid and their fear is growing into horror, panic, and terror.

First, they are afraid of the potential consequences from the vaccine for Covid 19. Whether you agree or disagree with their reasons for being afraid of it is besides the point. The fact is, they are afraid.

Second, their fear is being made far greater than a fear merely of the vaccine. They are now afraid of the persecution they face for fearing it. Across this great, freedom-loving country, they are becoming terrified:

• Terrified that they are being labelled as villains when they have done no harm to anyone, and wish no harm upon anyone;
• Terrified that they are no longer referred to as people but with a slur — the “unvaxxed” — by the media, by politicians and leaders, and by the population at large.
• terrified that they will be persecuted, having already been denied access to many businesses, and now to domestic and international air travel.

Most of all, they are terrified of what may come next.

My request of you.

I am asking you — I am pleading with you — by leading through example to relieve this second crisis.

I am asking you to tone down your rhetoric and your actions against these people — these human beings who mean no harm to anyone.

Please, let them be. Leave them in peace. Cease fanning flames of anger among the populace to them. Assure these people that no harm will come to them. End the war of words against them. Call them what they are — people. Condemn the use of the slur “the unvaxxed” which dehumanizes them. Make peace with them.

If it must be that they are temporarily not to be granted certain traditional freedoms until the end of the first emergency, please state so with kindness rather than condemnation, and with sympathies rather than vindictiveness. They too are suffering — suffering from fear, terror, and aloneness. Show them mercy and the kindness that Canada is known for the world over. Let them live here in peace.

Let’s show love to all people living here in Canada. Let’s show them we can in fact all get along. That is what this country is known for and what we are all so proud of. Canada is a country where we do love our neighbours. Let’s be more loving.

Thank you,

Tomer Strolight