WONG-TAM: Let's choose discourse over divisiveness

[impact]

Sensible comments from a city of Toronto councillor.
Is anyone listening?

"Kristyn Wong-Tam is Toronto city councillor for Ward 13 and vice-chair of the Toronto Board of Health"

"Since March 2020, we have lived in fear with evolving narratives and medical opinions regarding COVID-19."

"So, what do we know for certain at this point? Fear is the enemy of rational thinking and compassion for others."

"Social media has emboldened extremists and they have become more intimidating than ever. The essence of our humanity is our interconnectedness our relationships with other people yet it appears that somewhere along the way, we have forgotten this."

"We must ensure that all Canadians are equal in society, and fight against all discrimination regardless of what personal characteristics it is based on.
This is a basic principle that Canadians rightly pride themselves on."


"There are laws that address an individual's right to consent to treatment.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario says physicians must obtain valid consent before a treatment is provided that is informed and given voluntarily and not under duress considering the specific circumstances of the patient, on a case-by-case basis.
Furthermore, according to the CPSO: physicians must respect this decision even if they do not agree with it."

"We know from recent public health statements that those who are vaccinated can still get COVID-19 and can still transmit it to others just as easily as those who are unvaccinated. In addition, Ontario's chief medical officer Kieran Moore has stated that natural immunity needs to be considered as a factor in the province's reopening plan."

"This is not a civil war, it is an upper respiratory virus in the coronavirus family, one that is not going to disappear any time soon."

https://ottawasun.com/opinion/column...a-804cb09b83d7