Thanks Kathy, I sympathize with your frustration in your last piece about the people that have decided to go to Ottawa to make some changes including an overthrow of an elected government in Canada. I won't call them what they "want" to be called because they are anything but that. I am an older woman, who can't sleep at night (3:30 am) because of the worry this small percentage of people have caused our country over the last few days in particular. They certainly know how to break the spirit of 90% of the people who believe in basic human rights, respect for their fellow citizens especially our elders, decency, democracy and protecting our most vulnerable, medical professionals, government (civil, provincial and federal) , our police forces who protect us. Now they are going for financial ruin just when we were coming out of one of the hardest emotional winter with mandates lifting in the spring. ;(... Hello for super spreaders and Covid and it variants running rampant. What will this mean for an already thin medical system on it's knees? Damn we were sooo close. Does this mean we let it go now and let our most vulnerable shutter themselves in their homes or be content with their numbers dying? I sure hope not but a post to that effect went out by a relative and friend of mine on social media last week and I thought WOW is this really how young people feel about us? Maybe you have seen it I could copy and send it along privately but wouldn't give the person the satisfaction of posting it here. Many seniors in the military of our past and present and our government policies supports Canada to stand up for freedom and even fought in wars not even on our soil, I wonder if this is the freedom they were thinking, talking and fighting about or would they be horrified and ashamed with what is going on. I know I am ashamed of these few people that are overwhelming cities at this point in time. Mr. Reichmann, an old holocaust survivor once came to our local High School and spoke about how the Nazi's occupied his home town. It was a VERY graphic description of an occupation and how it happened. It is a description that will never leave my mind as long as I live nor my daughter who was in the audience. They invited some parents to go and we were warned that it would be graphic. He described how tanks and jeeps drove right straight through their town. He said similar to the size of Sussex. Imagine people coming out of their houses and looking out their windows in fear. They could hear the marching of the boots in their streets, circling the town with the swastikas everywhere displaying their military might. They over whelmed all democratic authority and then stealing all their wealth, calling their mayor and councilors and elders into the streets, terrorizing the citizens...it had a very unhappy ending with murder of the above mentioned, rape and most of his family and extended family being killed that day. Why did this story come to MY mind? Because I have family and friends in Ottawa? People I have trusted all my life that tell me Ottawa has been occupied and both men and women and the children are threatened to walk their streets to get groceries, work and live. People with disabilities are in trouble, abused women have been doubly traumatized, people of different races and cultures threatened as well as LBGTQ people. Elders have been threatened in the street (and I am so damn proud of those 3 women) makes me want to make my own Truck Off picket thumbs down sign and join them) GOOD FOR THEM but for speaking out so vocally it will probably put a target on them by those such as the (BIG BULLY with the BIG HONKIN TRUCK with PUSH BAR) I bet his mother was proud of him NOT! It is NOT a peaceful protest. People usually walk in a designated area, carry signs and then go home. People don't hold a city captive, with their weighted , noisy, fumy vehicles with push bars jeering at people who choose differently and assaulting them verbally, emotionally or physically. Intimidation and threats to over power a government: civil, provincial and federal is just wrong and so unCanadian. Canadians know this but how do ordinary Canadian citizens push back against that? The police have enough on their plates. I used to be proud of the Canadian flag but now people have tainted it! I have seen that poor flag upside down, draped over trucks with push bars, flying from cars and pick up trucks, marched around with Nazi flags by screaming bullies on Parliament hill (male and female with their children in tow) and around the streets of Ottawa, and other cities, and border crossings. Like I said I used to be so proud of our flag now it is tainted with their actions. I was brought up to believe in equality and humanity. My parents taught me to SAY NO TO BULLIES and walk away from a fight, turn the other cheek and throughout my life as a parent I taught this to my children, the children I taught in my career. Now I look at this mess in Canada and wonder what the hell happened to this small percentage of people? Brainwashing from social media and algorithms from like minded posts from down south? I used to be proud of all Canadians and when I got the chance to be out of the country I was proud to wear a little modest Canadian flag on my coat. I always thought that we were a country trying to make a difference welcoming people from all over the world to make our communities so much better and trying to make a difference! One of the highlights of my life was Canada Day Celebration in Ottawa with friends and family. Around me singing to a Tragically Hip song with people of all colours and cultures and many different languages. With the unknown soldiers tomb before us and fireworks in the background I thought wouldn't those soldiers be so happy for our Canada! I have a picture of that moment if you would like me to share it someday! Everyone was having fun. I was so proud of what Canada had accomplished and sure we have much further to go but what has happened in Ottawa is such a setback ;(... How will we recover from this? Will I ever be able to travel again? Will I be proud of the Canadian flag that I thought represented freedom? Why can I no longer wear a red baseball cap and threw mine out although it had no political slogan on it. I just can't wear red hats anymore as I wouldn't for one second want to be associated with the people that made red hats popular in the south with that kind of backward thinking! This small percentage of people have certainly damaged our reputation here in Canada and around the world! And how do the 90% get it back? That is the big question. So those are my early morning thoughts, the thoughts that are keeping me up at night. It is now 5:30am Grandmothers should be in bed getting their sleep but I just CAN NOT, I am worried about my family in Ottawa, I am worried about my children and their children. I know on social media, people like short concise answers or comments but I feel this is a safe place that I can speak at any length without being ridiculed by trolls, bots and the small percentage of people that make it their mission to call me fake when I give facts or express my opinion. I hear they are on their way to Fredericton, so be careful Kathy, freedom of speech is not appreciated right now unless it is the bullies point of view. I really hope your article on social media really goes viral but many will agree and they are just fed up like you and I but at the same time realize you will get lots of negative attention too and there are many bad actors out there. So I wish you safety in the days ahead Kathy. Phew I feel so much better now! ;) Let's hope things get better today.