It was incredible to see women, men and children standing together last weekend in Kelowna, marching in support of the Women’s March in Washington, a protest over the new side-show president of the United States.
Our coverage is on page A1 and we were proud to cover it both here in print, and as it happened on our web site at kelownacapnews.com and our Facebook page (search FB for Kelowna Capital News) with live video and pictures.
Officials say more than 600 people gathered together in Kelowna to show support for the march, held in conjunction with marches all over the world.
That number puts it as the single largest protest to be held in Kelowna. Amazing. Except that it all stems from Donald Trump.
Now don’t get me wrong, but if that isn’t a typically Canadian response, then nothing is. Our largest single public protest and it is all about our big sister to the south.
It’s not enough that our culture, our society, what TV we watch, what cars we drive, what food we eat and what music we listen to (on the mainstream) is largely influenced by America. Now the single largest protest ever to be held in Kelowna was about the American president.
It wasn’t about the state of First Nations in our country or the hell that was Canada’s residential school program. It wasn’t about pipelines or homelessness, or even Justin Trudeau and his new Liberal party that appears to be too much like the old Liberals. It wasn’t about funding for schools or hospitals or about patients continually being treated in hallways.
No, sadly, it was about Trump.
Sure the new president of the United States is a bafoon. But as Trudeau is learning, one man can’t change the system and for all of Trump’s hot air, the entire Republican party is pushing its agenda and likely loving the fact that Trump has cleared the path for them.
For our single largest protest ever to be based on something happening in another country is sad. We have our own issues and our own problems. Perhaps it’s easier to stand and shout across the border than do something to help right at home.
Really, what will happen to those of us that live in Rutland, or the Mission or Peachland with a Trump presidency? Will it really change our lives?
So while it was heartening to see the response of Kelowna and kudos to the organizers and those that came out to stand there and protest. But what happens now? What will you do to make Kelowna a better place? What will you do to fight for injustices and problems right here in our own city and in our own country?
It’s easy to bitch about an ignorant moron running another country. It’s quite something else to stand up and fight for people living on the streets of the community you call home. I ask again: What will you do for our community?