There's one topic I have studiously avoided since I began this blog: politics. Because, let's face it. Today, having a political stance means alienating about half your potential audience. And as a writer trying to get a foothold in the market, that's not a good or wise thing to do. So, politics are out. Pop culture, writing, hobby farming, family stuff...that's all good stuff that doesn't irritate people.
But right now, there's something going on that I simply can't ignore, and I can't let it go without talking about it. Frankly, I don't want to ignore and avoid it, because it's so important that it will literally determine the country's direction for the immediate and foreseeable future, maybe even the future of the entire Western world. And that would be the massive trucking convoys winding their way across Canada from all directions, heading for the nation's capital to demand that the government rescind all the vaccine mandates.
I put the 'history' tag on this post because this is history in the making. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that many people don't get to experience. Right now, there are literally tens of thousands of truckers, and hundreds of thousands of people riding along with them, who are telling the Canadian government in the loudest possible way, We Have Had Enough.
It's been almost two years of having our lives torn apart by mandates, masks, and fear. Two years in which loved ones have been separated, the elderly have died in nursing homes and hospitals without their loved ones allowed to be with them, where birthday parties are celebrated over Zoom calls, and where human contact is shunned because of an endless litany of fearmongering from the government, the media, and the medical establishment.
And now, Canadians have announced, in numbers unheard of outside of an all-Canadian Stanley Cup final, that we have had enough. We want our lives back. This isn't about getting rid of the Covid vaccines; this is about no longer permitting the government to force us to take it. I know people who were forced out of their jobs because they refused to take an experimental, untested drug. I know people who haven't seen family members in over a year because they're afraid to leave the house. And I know people who lost their businesses because they were forced to close while big corporations continued to rake in big profits with even less competition around.
We are done.
I don't drive a truck; I live on a tiny island on the east coast, and I couldn't even make it to the rally at Borden-Carleton this morning because I'm lucky enough to still have a job in this economic climate. But I sat with my family tonight, watching videos on YouTube of this incredible, unbelievable show of patriotic unity across the country, and I was deeply moved. This is a true watershed moment in this country's history, made even more significant because the entire world is watching this unfold. The world is teetering on a precipice, and many of us wondered if anything would be able to prevent the inexorable slide into the world of 1984. Many of us wondered if anything could be done to stop it.
Enter the truckers, who have rallied the entire country to take this ride with them. They aren't a 'fringe minority', as the Prime Minister disparaged them in a press conference. They are riding with purpose, and the show of support from Canadians at every milepost is staggering to behold. These men and women are finally doing what needed to be done from the very start, and it is a glorious sight to behold. And they aren't doing it alone; there are thousands of truckers crossing the border from the United States to join them. This is going viral around the world, and it might be the spark that restores our freedom and our hope for the future.
And so, it's been a long time since I wrote a proper song parody, but the time is right. This one is for each and every trucker out there, as well as everyone who wishes they could be part of the Freedom Convoy. Lee Greenwood, thanks for the tune. Cheers to you all.
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Cause the mandates kept on coming, setting freedom all ablaze
I'd spend my life in wonder at the things that we'd let slide
But I see those flags wave in the night as our trucking brothers ride
And I'm proud to be Canadian, in the true north strong and free
And I won't forget the men who drive to save those rights for me
So I'll gladly stand out in the cold and cheer you as you go
Cause there ain't no doubt you love this land! You listening yet, Trudeau?
From the lakes of Manitoba to the mountains of B.C.
Across the frozen Maritimes, from sea to icy sea
From Vancouver to Kenora, from the Rock to Montreal
Well, there's pride in every Canadian heart
And it's time that we stand tall
Yes, I'm proud to be Canadian where the winter comes on strong
And the convoy is a hundred miles and a million heartbeats long
So I'll gladly stand up, cheer you on, and wave the flag with pride
Cause there ain't no doubt we love this land! So ride, you truckers, ride!
And I'm going to tell my grandkids 'bout the time the truckers rolled
So I'll gladly stand here, spread the word, and wish I drove a truck
And as far as all the mandates go, I just don't give a darn.
Nice song
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