Let’s Make the Right Choice!

There is always a battle between good and evil. Between the “you should” and “you should not”. Between “you are” and “you are not”. Let’s also not forget the famous “you are not enough”. Those crowds have been in full swing for the last several weeks, now. Honestly, after the last 5 years, I would have hoped that all that rhetoric would have been put behind us. But, hey, this is me, the optimist! As a matter of fact, “too much of an optimist” as I have been called on several occasions.

Politics should not drown out science

I have also heard “You are Anti-Science”, and several other hurtful slurs, that I won’t repeat. We all heard too many of those over the last several years, and it’s not helpful in the least.
Why? Because we released “Alberta’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response,” led by Dr. Gary Davidson, which allowed folks to read for themselves a “Lessons Learned” account of the information available at the time for the decision makers and the results of the decisions being made. In addition, it considered relevant information that is now available and provided some recommendations going forward.

There was quite a list of esteemed individuals who participated in creating the report, and yes, the majority are in the medical field. The report wasn’t intended to point fingers at people, just to identify issues or concerns with the process and ensure the most relevant information is made available going forward. We are an outlier in the country for commissioning an official third-party report and making it public for all to see.

I believe science is science, and the scientific method always allows for open commentary, removing subjectivity and emotions. This non-biased approach has allowed us to rapidly advance over the years. It’s a balance scale of sorts, self-correcting, weighing the evidence, standing for scrutiny, to be disproven, until…it isn’t. It is not static, as we learn more, challenge theories, or look to new applications.

So, when I hear politics drown out the ability for science and the medical community to have an open forum, it raises alarm bells because it’s literally someone’s thumb on the weighing scale, not allowing the numbers to speak for themselves, and that’s when you can “Trust the Science.”

Talking WITH not ABOUT Americans: hands-on problem solving

I have also been accused of spending too much time talking with American politicians and regular citizens and, heaven forbid, accepting opportunities to meet with Americans in their capitals! They would rather have me stay in the Edmonton area, only interact on social media, and talk poorly about our friends and neighbors to the south based on the mainstream media story of the day. Wow. You can’t make this stuff up.

I am very proud to be the Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier for Economic Corridor Development. She is also the minister of intergovernmental relations. That requires engaging with other leaders in our country and abroad. I am also the lead for our transboundary groups, which consist of the Council of State Governments, National Council of State Legislators, the Energy Council and the Pacific Northwest Economic Region. We sit on and chair several committees within the organization, attend leadership training sessions, and are fully engaged in policies that will affect our province and country. We make friends there, so it can be hard when we need a quick, unfiltered conversation with someone we trust. They feel the same way about us.

When I look up my family history, like so many in the province, it was only a few short generations ago that they came here just after or before the province became a province. I go a ways back further, and my family first came to Canada in the late 1700s, well before 1867. They left East Friesland (Germany) when Napoleon tore across Europe after the French Revolution. So as you can imagine, I not only have family scattered all over Canada, but in the USA as well. I am not unique; our country’s history and the USA’s history and people are intertwined.

So, the “Elbows Up, Want to Fight, Boo National Anthems, and you are not Canadian enough because you are not like them” crowd is the group that doesn’t get out too much, or know the ramifications of starting a fight you can’t finish looks like. These are the same ones who run their mouth and never had their body cash the cheque. There was always someone or something to protect them. They are also typically very good at spending other people’s money.
The problem will not solve itself as one prime minister decided to solve the budget problem, but by actively engaging in negotiations and economic ties. Until new economic ties and markets open up and new opportunities are created, we have this challenge on our hands.

Since the USA is our largest trading partner and closest neighbor, chances are, if we do our job, we will be better off talking WITH Americans than ABOUT them.

Last, but not in the least

I want to give folks hope in these strange times. Don’t let the “you should” and “you are not enough” crowds get you down (whatever cause they are ranting about). Take some deep breaths, and look to the things that are really important to you, and how you can make positive progress toward change. Like this famous Albertan mused, “Perhaps you should clean your own room, before you tell others how the world should be run”. We are at a very interesting point in time, make no mistake. I believe we all have a part to play, and if we are going to be active participants in shaping that future, you need to have your head and emotions in your control, not controlled by others.

The choice before us will be very clear. Do you want the “Government” to make the decisions for you, or do YOU want to have the freedom to make your own choices, own mistakes, and the freedom to determine your own future? So take a deep breath, get yourself informed from multiple sources covering the whole political spectrum, manage what you can, and trust yourself to do the right thing for the ones you care about most.

Stay strong, Stay Free, Stay Safe. And I’ll continue to care about “what matters to you”!

Sincerely,

Shane Getson

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