I am writing this article in response to my concern with which the Banff- Kananaskis MLA, Miranda Rosin, is being portrayed in social media sites and by some news media outlets.
I will start with a quote from Danielle Smith when she announced her retirement from radio: “…the mob of political correctness thinks nothing of destroying a person’s career and reputation over some perceived slight, real or imagined.” (globalnews.ca/news/7568250/danielle-smith-departure-corus-radio/ )
Ms. Rosin started her political career in June 2018 seeking the nomination to be the candidate in the newly formed riding of Banff-Kananaskis (BK), in the newly formed United Conservative Party. She was the underdog to win this nomination and despite this won the nomination.
She then went on to run in the political election of 2019 in the newly formed BK riding that was arguably gerrymandered to give the incumbent a distinct advantage. Ms. Rosin was clearly the underdog and essentially given no chance to win this riding and despite this she won the election with 51% of the popular vote. Why? I think it was because Ms. Rosin represented exactly what politics needed: a young, energetic, well spoken, intelligent and engaged person. People saw a person who could connect one on one with them and who was principled in her beliefs.
Unfortunately, from the moment she was elected she has been subjected to an endless onslaught of attacks. This level of sustained vitriol would take its toll on anyone, I use Ms. Smith as a prime example. If a seasoned radio personality and former politician has had enough one can only imagine the strength it has taken Ms. Rosin to continue.
We supposedly live in a country where free speech is protected under the Constitution. Our society, sadly, seems to be devolving into an Orwellian state where only the ‘accepted’ speak is tolerated. Anything that departs from what is now referred to as ‘politically correct’ (Orwell would refer to it as ‘groupthink’) is vilified and attacked. Opponents to Ms. Rosin’s, or anyone’s opinion opponents don’t agree with, will search for any small irregularity and focus and amplify that into a major event. Supposed major news outlets, and now it appears even local ones, will accept whatever is submitted to them as fact and reproduce it, seemingly without checking the context in which something was said or submitted.
Politicians and organizations of all stripes are encouraging ‘diversity’ in politics. Diversity of age, gender, race, etc. Diversity doesn’t mean it’s to be used as a prop, it means accepting not only people for who they are but what they stand for and their opinions that go along with that.
We don’t have to agree with each other’s opinions. We are all entitled to express our opinions respectfully and we are all entitled to oppose someone’s opinion respectfully. I would suggest, regardless of your political stripe to look at yourself and what you are posting or printing and question if you are doing so respectfully and in good faith, that is, without intent to purposefully harm someone.
We may not be able to control everything that goes on across the country. We can at least control how we act and what we find acceptable in our province or at least our corner of it, Banff-Kananaskis.
Dr. James Trofimuk
