First some context, I live in Northumberland County which is in Eastern Ontario. It's farming country, orchard land. If you've been out this way you not doubt have seen The Big Apple complete with it's yellow mask as you drive along the 401. It is also overwhelmingly white, and we have our share of racists out here.
Maybe the mask on that Apple should be replaced with a white hood?
Like everywhere Northumberland County has a lot of frightened people, terrified of catching this Covid bug. They're easy to identify, they're the ones walking alone outside, nobody within 100 metres and they're masked up. That or they're driving alone in their cars with a mask on, even if it's a convertible.
And you see them at the dog park, something of a local gathering place out here, although now it's restricted to no more than 5 people at a time. When the conversation invariablly turns to Covid, because it always does, you can bet that some masked up face will start complaining about "those people" from places like Brampton, Mississauga, or some other part of the GTA.
This is what fear does to people, they show off their true colours. Those who either refuse to wear a mask, or who only put one on when absolutely required are a far more tolerant bunch. That's because we're not irrationally afraid, not of Covid, and not of "those people" from the GTA.
They do it politiely, they don't use blatantly offensive terms, but we all know the dog whistles they blow. It's because "those" people don't share our values about health and safety, how "they" live differently with so many generation in one household.
Please save it, if you're frightened of Covid stay in your basements and spew your hateful garbage at the wall. If it wasn't for the trucking and warehousing industry where many of "these people" work there wouldn't be food on the grocery shelves, even out in the lily white parts of the province.
Be kind, and if you can't be kind...then stay home.
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