OK, so here goes.
Yes, I have some strong opinions on what has been done, what should have been done, what is being done and what should be done in NSW right now. We all do.
But I think we could all think about our voices here.
People are doing it tough. You can argue and bicker over who’s doing it the toughest and who should or shouldn’t be out and about in the community etc etc and so on. But I’m going to ask you not to do that on my posts or on my timeline. I’m happy to debate and discuss the political side of things but there is enough of that going on in the public sphere already and frankly it doesn’t help the people that are struggling.
Yes it’s annoying and frustrating that lessons weren’t learned from what Victoria went through. And yes there’s unfortunately a degree of smug schadenfreude at being able to say “we told you so”. But that doesn’t help the people who are stuck in 5km limits. It doesn’t help the single people who can only have social bubbles with a person within their 5km radius. It doesn’t help the people who are stuck at home struggling with kids, bad internet, remote learning, farting husbands or extreme boredom.
So I ask you – and I’m going to try* and do it myself – I ask you to keep that shit on your own timelines or in private discussions. I have friends that I dearly love in NSW, who read my posts and the comments on them. I’d like them to not see an endless stream of negativity when they do so.
I think politics is important and political discussion is necessary and vital for a thriving democracy. And I hate telling people what they can and can’t post on my timeline or in comments on my post. But shoving criticism in people’s faces when they’re doing the right thing isn’t helpful.
And you know what? Much as I don’t like a lot of the things she has and hasn’t done, Gladys is still a person. And the pressure and exhaustion and stress and anxiety she is no doubt experiencing right now must be nearly overwhelming. We’ve all fucked up before. Just because the solutions might be clear as day to you doesn’t mean they’re easy for her to make.
Be patient, be kind. Rant all you like, shout and scream if you must – but keep in mind who your audience is.
Good luck NSW. Hang in there.
* I am weak and fallible, I make no promises of success.