Only On The Walters Post

There’s a story out of rural Manitoba that made me pause. In the Rural Municipality of Taché, someone set up a Halloween display showing life-sized dolls of local politicians hanging from a gallows. The figures had ward numbers painted on them, the word “karma” in bright green, and even a firefighter with a “For Sale” sign and a dollar-sign necklace. People are calling it disturbing, and I can see why.

Now, I’m a feller who believes in free speech as people should be able to voice their opinions, even when I don’t agree with them. But there’s a line, and well this display kinda crossed it. Free speech isn’t an excuse to intimidate folks or make them feel unsafe. Being upset about a bill, a policy, or a decision is one thing, hanging dolls of real people from a gallows is something else entirely.

We have laws, community standards, and each other, and civility matters. You don’t win hearts or minds by threatening or frightening folks, no matter how justified you think your cause is. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve got my own thoughts about the powers that be. Some days I swear there’s enough of them to fill a stadium, all collecting paychecks from the working man’s wallet. The system is already a mess, and it wouldn’t take much to make it worse.

Until the next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive. GW