OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor. This letter is in response to a letter published yesterday, titled 'Commenters using aliases leaves reader seeing red,' and an article titled 'What have 365 days of the pandemic taught you? Let us know!' Send your letters to [email protected]
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In a recent article, OrilliaMatters asked what have the last 365 days of the pandemic taught us.
The last year we, as a society, have basically been shut down and locked up. We have been in and out of lockdown so many times, and each time we come out the rules have changed - from who you can see, (and who you can’t see) and how to handle your social circle.
Some people have not left their homes except for groceries and medical appointments and a lot of people have had visits to specialists cancelled and are also waiting for operations and special procedures. And a lot of people have not even seen close family or friends for over a year.
The past year has taught us to be patient, endure, solider on, and find ways to adapt.
In addition I think it has made a big in change in how we get our news. Because of lockdowns, we are following the news more closely. From TV, radio, newsprint, digital online papers like OrilliaMatters and social media.
A lot of people have turned to online papers and social media more and more, which has led me to raise a question which I ask myself almost every day when it comes to these forms of news and the comments generated by them. Comments that are made by the people who read the articles and comment on them, and comments they make toward other people who make online comments in regards to the articles. My question is: Who are we? Who, really, are we?
I, for one, stand behind anything I may say in public or online using my real name. OrilliaMatters gives us a perfect platform to comment on local and national issues and I thank them for allowing us to do this.
Though OrilliaMatters moderates comments (they make that clear in the rules about commenting) and probably tones some of them down in some cases, or maybe even deletes some, there is a lot of people out there who make absurd comments and attack others who make comments about an article. And if you comment back in regards to their comments you are sometimes personally attacked.
There are a lot of people hiding behind assumed names and or nicknames to hide their true identity. It is even worse when it comes to social media platforms like Facebook, where you can even get idle threats and name calling. The comment rules on these platforms are too loose.
We, as a Canadian society, need to be more open, and if you want to comment on something and personally go after someone with your comments, then tell us who you really are and don't hide behind an assumed and absurd name. I refuse to back down from any of these bullies who hide behind these names and we all need to start pushing back more.
I’ll be holding doors open for strangers (following social distancing), letting people cut in front of me in traffic, keeping babies entertained in grocery lines, stopping to talk or call someone who is lonely, tipping generously, sharing food, giving children a thumbs-up, being patient with sales clerks, smiling/waving at a passersby. (All the while wearing my mask)
WHY? Because I refuse to live in a world where kindness is invisible and nowhere to be found.
Join me in showing kindness, understanding, and judging less. Be kind to a stranger, and give grace to people who may be having a bad day, and be forgiving with yourself.
If you can’t find kindness, be that kindness.
Ian Gordon
Orillia
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