Debating is becoming Squamish’s number one spectator sport.
Sides are being taken as the labour dispute in our public schools drags on, the liquefied natural gas (LNG) discussions continue and the future of the Squamish oceanfront evolves. Lines are being drawn and heated conversations are sparking up in expected places.
Premier Christy Clark has her allies and Jim Iker, president of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, has his.
My Sea to Sky is growing into a sizable organization protesting liquefied natural gas (LNG) exportation and Woodfibre LNG looks to be spending a small fortune on Facebook advertising.
Mayor Rob Kirkham’s supporters back council’s decision to partner with Matthews Southwest and Bethel Land Corp. to develop the oceanfront lands, while a group of detractors insist the deal is bad for Squamish.
Who is right? Who has it wrong?
It depends.
Individual values will dictate. Right and wrong along with good and bad are terms that don’t add anything to any of these debates.
Some people are calling Christy Clark evil, while others believe Jim Iker is the face of evil.
Calling them evil doesn’t get us any closer to putting kids back into public school classrooms, where they belong.
There is no evil in these cases, there are no good or bad people in the public school dispute, just people. Labels of evil, bad or wrong are being given to the participants in the dispute.
The BC Teachers’ Federation feels teachers should be rewarded for their patience and hard work. The union also wants smaller classes and it wants classes that aren’t overflowing with kids who have individual learning plans, mental health issues, physical health problems, behaviour issues and other special needs. This is what the union is tasked with on behalf of teachers.
The provincial government wants a contract that addresses the class size and composition issues, while also providing the teachers with a pay increase consistent with raises recently given to other public sector employees. Our provincial leaders want to ensure the cost of this new contract doesn’t lead to a massive tax hike for property owners across the province.
A middle ground between the politicians calling the shots and the teachers will be found. Then, the class size and composition portion of the dispute just might find its way to the Supreme Court of Canada.
In the meantime, the polarizers on either side are lobbying to build the number of supporters on their side while discrediting the other side and working to prevent that other side from building its base of support. It isn’t constructive, but it happens anyway.
We’re seeing a similar scenario in the debate over Woodfibre LNG. Some of the people in the trenches are pressuring friends and family to take a stance. Those who don’t take a side are labeled as “bad” or “evil” and “wrong” for not being on the “right” side of the issue.
Life is short. Enjoy the debate and pick your side if you must. If the discussion ends with the evil people winning the battle thanks to the help of the bad people who supported their efforts, all there is to do is accept that things did go your way and live with the outcome.
