I see the winds of change on the political horizon. A storm is brewing. It does not look good for Premier Jason Kenney and his UCP government. They have lost the moral compass to govern our province. Along with political power comes a moral obligation to do no harm and to act in the best interests of all Albertans.
Moral standards deal with matters which can either seriously harm or seriously benefit constituents. When basic ethical principles are eroded or ignored for the sake of self-interest all of society suffers.
Kenney and his UCP government have put political expediency ahead of their duty to protect Albertans to the detriment of those who have chosen to be vaccinated, to the detriment of those who have chosen not to be vaccinated and to the detriment of those who have other medical conditions whose surgeries are being cancelled.
Our health care system is in crisis. There may not be enough resources to meet the needs of all who are critically ill. Kenney and his UCP government are the ones who are indeed making the decision about those Albertans who will live and those Albertans who will die. It is unfair and cowardly to put this on the shoulders of our physicians who are forced by the government to inform patients and their families that lifesaving care in ICU will not be provided.
What happens when there are two patients who are critically ill and both require lifesaving intervention but there is but one respirator? One patient is vaccinated and the other unvaccinated. The answer is that no one should die needlessly because Kenney government refuse to issue a vaccine passport to access non-essential services and refuse to implement mandatory restrictions in our schools to help reduce the spread of the Delta virus.
Individuals chose to be vaccinated because it is the right thing to do to protect themselves, and their family and friends. However, there are those who choose not to be vaccinated. Families and friends are the victims left behind when unvaccinated and vaccinated people die needlessly.
When a person is out on a ledge and about to commit suicide, is it not within our collective conscience to do whatever it may take to save this life? It seems that Kenney and his UCP government are turning a blind eye. This is unconscionable. Vaccinated and unvaccinated lives matter. Saving as many of these lives as possible must be a priority if not for their sake then for the sake of family, friends and community.
What cost is a human life Mr. Kenney? Is a person’s life worth more than your reputation which now seems worthless? A storm is brewing. It is getting late. The next election will be a day of reckoning for you and your UCP government.
Robert Stoltz, Red Deer