We are at war right now. Not with an evil Axis power, but with a small and destructive virus. COVID-19’s effects have upended lives, shut down schools, and closed our national borders. The general Canadian way of life has been derailed. Yet, I feel that the collective spirit and camaraderie that brought together the nation in past crises now eludes us.
It pains me that we are so focused on the cancellation of the upcoming Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors match or how we cannot watch Come From Away at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. It saddens me when I watch trending YouTube videos of people duking it out for toilet paper at Costco.
Compared to what our forefathers battled, we are combating an enemy that can be defeated by listening to the government, self-regulation, and social distancing.
We have become so materialistic and so fragmented that we have forgotten the fundamental fabric of civic duty, community, and citizenship that binds us together as Canadians.
However, we find ourselves with the ideal opportunity to reinvigorate these notions as we combat the virus. We need to use this moment of moral clarity to pinpoint the society that we should have been before the crisis, and thus, the culture we aspire to build after this disaster.
Let us express a higher moral and civic commitment to our duties as citizens, treat others with kindness and dignity, and be mindful of the shared social contract between Canadians all the time. Let us reconstruct our communities with stronger bonds and respect, in which we grasp our neighbours’ struggles and care for them. By teaching our children how to be selfless, future Canadians will be able to come together and accomplish the greater good.
I don’t know how exactly we obtain this ideal Canadian society, or what it specifically looks like, all I know is that that atmosphere of ‘country-over-self’ is lacking and that this is the best time to start that process of discovering who we want to be as a nation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressing the nation about COVID-19 from his Ottawa residence. DAVE CHAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
In John F. Kennedy’s only inaugural address, he asked America to “ask not what your country can do for you,” but “ask what you can do for your country.” He called the nation to collectively join together, to rise to the occasion, and for private citizens to embrace their responsibility to the country.
We must ask Canadians to do the same.
I was not alive during the Second World War, and neither were most Canadians. Yet, the stories told by our grandparents or in history class indicated the sheer amount of sacrifice that our forebears made for our freedom and democracy. They used stamps to receive rationed meals, painstakingly grew Victory Gardens in their backyards, and witnessed their husband, father, brother, or son walk towards the whims of war. These were grievous sacrifices, ones that immediately brushed one’s soul and conscience about life and death.
This time, our sacrifice is to miss out on entertainment and to stay at home. This is a crisis where our valiant efforts are not immediately felt and where accomplishing our goals doesn’t come with a newspaper header titled “V.E. Day.”
We are not tasking Canadians to tend gardens, administer atypical factory work, or, god forbid, combat abroad. Instead, it is a modest plea to listen to public health professionals and the state on how to flatten the curve of the virus and limit its spread.
I understand that many people consider the medical consequences of contracting the COVID-19 virus as insignificant or nonexistent. Initially, I fell into that collection of people. But we have to recognize that the elderly population in Canada will be profoundly affected. When executing any judgements on whether or not to go out, consider not only the seniors in our lives but the individuals who assist our most fragile population.
Don’t be the cause of your grandmother’s premature death.
Without flattening the curve, we rapidly overwhelm our intensive care units and emergency rooms and cause greater strain to an already stretched-thin healthcare system. Doctors, nurses, grocery workers, and other front-line personnel are true heroes and our best defence against the virus, so let’s not further burden them by staying at home.
This time, our sacrifice is to miss out on entertainment and to stay at home. This is a crisis where our valiant efforts are not immediately felt and where accomplishing our goals doesn’t come with a newspaper header titled “V.E. Day.”
We are not tasking Canadians to retrieve groceries through ration cards or asking our children to scrap metal drives. It is a mere plea to act considerately when obtaining toiletries and buying groceries. In fact, this is not even a plea for citizenship, but an appeal for some to possess basic decency as a human being. It is abysmally embarrassing to witness police officers guarding Charmaine toilet paper at the local Superstore. Take what you need, and nothing more. No one needs twelve bags, come on.
It is our duty as Canadians to come together during these trying times, to look out for one another by staying at home, and to do our part to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Compared to what our forefathers battled, we are combating an enemy that can be defeated by listening to the government, self-regulation, and social distancing. Together, we can come out of this stronger as a country by re-establishing the underlying fabric that should be present during peacetime and during times of crisis. We have not been asked to accomplish heroic feats, but to make minute sacrifices. It is time to live up to that occasion and do our part.
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