Paul Vargis
TyIt’s funny. Today I was thinking of Alberta Votes 2019. It is hard not to as it fills every media space, and it is ugly. There are great lights for folks honestly running for citizens like Leah McRorie, Gar Gar and Dave Khan to name a few (tonight my daughter added Braham Luddu). I originally was planning to tap into a simple spiritual and holistic theme. That being forgiveness, second chances and growth in our life span. This came about watching the attack ad cycle (yes these ad’s bore me, and make me decide to not support that party even more).
Why?
Simple, they take usually past statements and/or actions, and present them as current reality. This is done under the guise of past behaviours are great future predictors. Yes, I can agree with that, yet it removes a simple learning curve. People can and do change. It happens, it is looking at patterns over a lifetime, and recency. These are key pieces. This style of attack is not a smear. This happened or that was said. It can be accountability. What the media needs to do is dig and discuss and see what has changed?
So yes, I believe in second chances and forgiveness.
The hard part is this got scuttled tonight as we looked at learning more about our local candidates and attended the local forum. The opening question for introduction was for the candidates to share personally why they wanted to be our MLA. The 3 other candidates from Alberta Liberals, Alberta Party, and NDP answered honestly and shared their story. The UCP Candidate (who had already distributed blue shirts and signs, so I was prepared for the faux standing O’s to come with his answers) went and just started reciting party policy. He was called out on this (heckled, as happens in politics, and any other forum you are before the public-been there done that).
Which set off the wave of blue. I got mad as they triggered my son into hysterics, as I made my statement they chanted go home to us, and three blue shirts postured and threatened to want to meet me in the parking lot for a fight. The moderator front and centre for it, did not clear the blue shirt bullies, he would tweet and apology stating he “did not hear or see” and that he was saddened to be associated with an event that went off the rails like that.
As I would be in the lobby helping my son re-regulate, Sprawl-Jeremy Klaszus would come out to check in, so would Calgary-East Liberal Candidate and 12 CSL member, Michelle Robinson, and another lovely volunteer whose name I did not get. I would speak with the Sprawl openly about how this is not my Alberta.
Video from the Calgary-Cross forum tonight. After Amery (UCP) is heckled, UCPers chant Mickey’s name, upsetting
@TyRagan‘s 13-yr-old son. Ragan: “Good job guys, you scared the kid with cerebral palsy. That’s your inclusive party right there.” UCPer: “Go home, go home.”
-Check out Sprawl for the video
I have lived in this area my whole life. We are the most socio-economically, religious and culturally diverse communities in all of Alberta. We came seeking a candidate that would break party lines and ensure proper representation and support for citizens. I do not stand for hate or exclusion. I do stand for full universal health care, and full public education. I do know that the infrastructure and wait times we are experiencing are not due exclusively to NDP governance, but the royalty cuts that supported business not citizens under PC governance of Klein and his barbarous cuts.
I do know we have a resurgence of hate and bullying in our province, and that was ignited by the bullying rise by the mergers of the Wildrose and PC to create UCP and the leadership bullying style that brought that about. We bore witness tonight to that, unable to stay, as I got my son able to return, I found my daughter in tears and the blue shirts pointing and grinning at having accomplished this feat. We left, and City TV stopped me in the parking lot to discuss the gutter politics on display, the rise of hate, and the bullying.
I know I have my bias, and have never been a conservative, this election though I have tried to share the good from each party, or at the very least the link to their policies so that readers (and Albertan voters could find them easily) to be able to make an informed decision. I was part of the stand against hate in the `90’s (and was hoping we had evolved enough for it to be done); I have been involved in anti-bullying campaigns, and quite politically, religiously and community involved my whole life. I enjoy sharing my passions with my children, and getting them engaged to be able to critically think, fact check and find the candidates they would vote for.
Tonight was not the Alberta I believe in, or want to be apart of. Four of the five candidates in my area showed up, that was four choices (sorry Communist Party, your guy didn’t show he’s off the list). The NDP and UCP already had an uphill battle, after tonight the UCP is off and very off. That leaves both the Alberta Liberals and Alberta Party left to decide with.
But I do ask citizens to think of the demonstration we are putting on for our children. For the demonstration of fear of sharing personally why we want to SERVE our citizens (yes that is what political office is a vocation of service, not power); and that choices we make do not only affect us in the next four years, but 7 generations from now (as the Elders have taught)…we are still dealing with the repercussions of the last short sighted-money over citizens-populist government 1 generation on…
Can we afford another one?
On April 16, 2019 Albertans VOTE HOPE. VOTE FOR A GOVERNMENT FOR ALL.
And let’s put hate and bullying back in the dumpster where it belongs.
with a solemn service of mourning (technically with Mardi Gras of Fat (Shrove) Tuesday where we celebrate and clear out the larder). 
For some, they keep it pretty basic the fast from something (i.e. coffee, sex, social media, candy, etc.) and that may be part of it for the praxis of Lent comes from the Wilderness stories in the Christian Testament (if we want to you can create the allegory to the Exodus that 
The Holy Mystery, our loving Creator God. This time in the wilderness is when Jesus drew nearest to his loving Creator, for he was able to walk and-or turn away from the temptations of the materialism and power. He was ministered to in Community to heal. It was a living example of two things:
shared on the last night. Bread and juice. Some say the body and blood, I prefer and think in the wilderness it resonates more…bread of life, cup of promise. For who are we in the Holy but blessed and very good, with our vocational life path of choices ahead like a buffet.
A Monk's Musings 