Again, there’s another news story with Pickering Councillor Lisa Robinson at its core. The Toronto Star writes a lengthy, comprehensive story about the council chaos in Pickering, and it is a sad commentary on where society is going rather than the ineffectiveness of political leaders.
Society has lost all idea of the meaning of respect, social decorum and mutual dignity. Not that long ago, “Yes sir,” “No ma’am,” and “Excuse me,” “Let me get that door for you” were the norm rather than the exception. When stopped by the police on the street, proper etiquette ruled the exchange between the officer and the stopped person. When disciplined at school, the child was questioned at home as a wrongdoer. Those days are long gone.
Today, everyone instantly stops any confrontation or queried position with an aggressive response grounded on claims of legal rights and personal freedoms. No longer is there any consideration that something may be wrong, that they may be at fault for something, or that they may be the wrongdoer. The first response is an aggressive defence. A responsive attack. Questioning the authority or the right of the person who may be just doing their job properly and justly. No matter today. Today, every person is a monarch, beyond anyone else’s authority, as the first person has complete and unquestionable rights.
Lisa Robinson is not the villain here. She is a symptom of our times, a universal critic or questioner of whatever she is served. Questioning her is tantamount to tar and feathering, regardless of whether the question has any justifiable basis. In our society, individuals are above any questioning, above the possibility that they may be at fault, as they are complete authorities unto themselves. They are beyond questioning or examination by anyone.
Such people see themselves as above and beyond anyone’s authority. They are independent, sole rulers unto themselves, beyond the authority or regulation of anyone else. This cannot be repeated enough. These people live in their own world beyond what used to be the social norm. They will take advantage of or twist any law or legal precedent they can to support their position, be it a religious, legal, political or social precedent. They see themselves as the authority in every situation, no matter what. There is no consideration of the situation. They are the authority, FULL STOP.
Our society lives by the above atmosphere, regulations and guidelines. Right or wrong, when questioned, the questioner is questioned. Their rights are questioned, if they have legitimate authority, if they are wrong or if they are right. The first position taken by the assailed today is a presumption of being right with no regard for the possibility that they are wrong. Then they begin deflection that the other person is being oppressive, the other person is wrong, and the authority of the other person is questionable. There is no consideration of the other person possibly being right. The confrontation disintegrates to the level of a fight. It is no longer a question of who is right or wrong, but a battle to outshout, out legalese, out constitutionalize the other.
Take the Councilor Robinson case. No matter whether the positional discrepancies detract from the working efficacy of the job for which she was elected, the efficiency of the work of the entire council is disrupted and thrown into chaos when the contrary person’s opinions trump municipal or civic responsibilities. Robinson is wrong, but by the same token, so is the Mayor. This shouldn’t be a marital squabble or a barroom brawl. They are supposed to be conducting city business. Instead, they erode all discussion to the level of bickering, name-calling and personal insult that belongs nowhere, most certainly not in the council chambers of any city.
Saying “grow up,’ to either squabbler would probably raise their shackles and increase their ire without a step closer to proper discussion, compromise, or even agreed disagreement. None of us is king or queen. We are all equal citizens living in the same society. Isn’t it time we moved back to the past, not only treating each other with respect and mutual dignity but also taking time to hear and consider the other side’s position? Or are we stuck in this quagmire of disrespect and ceaseless dissing from today forward? Socially deaf, permanently?
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Read the Stary article at CHAOS AT PICKERING COUNCIL
