As time goes by, we hear less and less about the virus that stopped the world.  I reflect back to the beginning, going over how we got here. How nothing happened quickly but rather slowly and methodically.  One restriction at a time. our lives changed forever,   Constant bombardment by the media paralyzed people with fear. The pandemic changed humanity.

Closures, lockdowns, restrictions and isolation began stripping away the essence of what we call a free society.  No longer free to leave our homes, make a living, see our family and friends, worship, gather, shop, unless it was deemed essential.  Canada became the land of the scared and paranoid.

Fresh air and exercise became dangerous to your health and the health of others.  Gyms closed and instead, liquor stores opened and were what was deemed essential.

It soon became the norm for many Canadians to sit in their living rooms, in front of the tv, with a bottle or two of wine or a case of beer and delivery of food with Uber or Skip The Dishes.  We watched the media give daily updates on the rising numbers.   The number of cases, number of hospitalizations and the number of deaths, became well known by the average Canadian.  What was not well known, was important numbers that were never given.

Why did/have we not heard about the number of:

• people that reported being isolated, lonely or depressed during lockdowns
• suicides during the pandemic
• divorces in comparison to 2 years before
• domestic violence calls
• businesses that went closed
• people that lost their life savings
• people that died alone
• people that recovered with no long term issues
• unvaccinated people that lost their jobs
• people that died from adverse reactions to the experimental vaccine
• people that were injured after taking the experimental vaccine

We did not hear about these numbers because the media polluted our minds and shrunk our hearts and did not want us to care about those numbers.  The reason we are now reality impaired.

Mixed messages from Health Ministers on mask wearing, soon became mandated.  An experimental drug that our Prime Minister said would be available to those that wanted it and would not be mandated, was no longer a choice.  Parental consent for our children was no longer needed nor our right as parents..  We were no longer free to go to work, and make a living.   Privacy in regards to our medical history became a thing of the past.  Entering a restaurant was only allowed for selected individuals.  Moving freely from town to town and city to city was banned, having to present ID that proved where we lived.  It seemed as though the lyrics in our national anthem “God keep our land, glorious and free”, had become irrelevant to our every day living.

In retrospect, I often wonder how rational, logical and critical thinking was completely discarded. Toilet paper became the item of choice to hoard, Did we not have soap and water at home? What would happen when the shortage is dire, such as food?  Driving in cars alone with masks on.  Who would be infected?  Bringing our own bags to the grocery store became dangerous and banned but plastic bags, once banned, were brought back and considered safer.

Freedom to have bodily autonomy and the freedom to choose medical intervention was stripped away and no longer considered a right by our government.  Those that once believed (including our Prime Minister) “My body my choice”  now made an exception to that rule.  The same logic did not apply when it came to an experimental drug. CHOICE became diluted with coercion.

Nurses, Dr.’s and all healthcare providers were no longer considered heroes, if they did not take the jab. They were called quacks, and needed to be fired.

Lacey shared a touching letter from a pregnant nurse who made the choice to not put her unborn child at unnecessary risk. No consideration was given for cases like this. Even though there was ZERO testing on the results of unborn babies who’s mothers got vaccinated.

Canadian truckers that kept food and supplies moving, were demonized and called racists, terrorists, and misogynists.  Simply because they decided to stand up and say “No more mandates!”  Not only for themselves but for every Canadian suffering.  Canada became officially divided.   

At first there was no coverage on the convoy heading to Ottawa.  Alternative news sources and social media brought the story to Canadians.  However, when the media finally decided to cover it, the story became, twisted and distorted.  Lies and misinformation about what was really going on, filled the news.  Canadian citizens had their bank accounts frozen.  Access to their hard earned money was denied simply for participating or donating to the convoy.

Videos by ordinary citizens that were there, live and in real time, began flooding social media platforms. The world applauded Canadians, for their peaceful way of protesting. However, many of the very people that make up this land chose not to see the obvious.

Leaders around the world were shocked when the most peaceful country in the world was attacked by their own Prime Minister that enacted the Emergency Measures Act.

The reality is that our neighbours, friends and co-workers became the watchful eye of our government giving them more power against the people.  Families have turned on each other and long time friendships have been lost. Marriages destroyed, Conversations are no longer possible because of the deep division.  

You can think that by simply social distancing,  wearing a mask,  getting vaccinated and staying home places you high on being a good human list but I assure you, I know many that did just that and they rank low on being a good human.  It’s time people checked themselves.

Regardless of what side you land on, we must all be accountable for our own actions and behaviours during this historical time.

So I ask, did you:

1. Judge those that did not think like you?
2. Insult those that chose different than you?
3. Wish the illness on those that refused to take the vaccine to teach them a lesson?
4. Support those that fought the mandate even though you chose to comply with it?
5. Allow a family member to die alone?  And did not attend the funeral service?
6. Support the small business that refused to implement the passport.
7. Were you a business that refused to let people dine in your restaurant knowing full well that your staff was not vaccinated nor needed to be vaccinated in order to serve those that you were turning away?
8. Did you agree when nurses, Dr’s, first responders, police, flight crews and truckers were fired for not complying.
9. Quarantine from your friends and family even though you were perfectly healthy and had no symptoms of illness what so ever?
10. Did you discriminate based on vaccination status?
11. Blame the unvaccinated for spreading the virus?
12. Receive 3 vaccines, got sick and passed it to others after blaming the unvaccinated?
13. Tell people to stop being selfish and just do their part?
14. Did you forego your parental consent?
15. You care about the overdoses, suicides, murders, domestic violence increases due to the lockdowns?

Sit with this for a while and then answer one last question.  Were YOU a good human during the pandemic?

Noemi Pelegrin-Tudor