This Scares Me

Thus while gay rights are finally being recognized, we know that homophobia is alive and well in our communities.  The same goes for racism and sexism.

Indeed, while Canadians may be making real progress on equality, tolerance and respect, scratch the surface and all kinds of tribalism is still going on below.

Rob Ford is emotionally authentic.  When he's outraged, he's outraged; when he's over-the-top, he's feeling exactly the same way he's communicating.  So, while we may disagree with or even feel disgusted by what he's saying, we do feel we're getting the real him.

That's not the case for many people in the public arena.  Goaded on by gleeful (and off-camera) operators, they exaggerate, express mock indignation and ignore both all an opponent's positives and their own side's negatives.  

Which is how tribalism works.

Meanwhile, a growing number of folk are worried about their future and downright terrified of their kids future, if they have kids.  They don't know what to expect, don't know who has the answers and feel, with just cause, that they're being lied to by the people they're supposed to trust to keep the ship afloat.

We're told to trust by people we can't; that irks.  We're told to fear those we are already sceptical about; that makes for a better fit.  The more we focus on standing against, however, the more reactive we become.  Hammer in hand, we look for other nails to hit.

For anyone looking beyond the next election, the picture forming as the surface gets scratched away isn't a pleasant one.

What has happened before, etc.