It’s getting worse. It really is. More and more people are literally becoming unglued, unhinged, even cracking up.
You can feel their emotion right through the computer screen.
Just a few days ago this scribbler penned a column about the
hysteria over the thought of Alberta independence
, hoping the fever would break.
It didn’t. The temperature soared higher.
Hold it right there … Incoming.
A Scope Research poll. It finds 33 per cent say Alberta should separate from Canada and 54 per cent say Alberta should stay in Canada. The rest are not fully committed to an answer.
As we all know, a recent nosecount from Angus Reid kicked off a whole new wave of fear and loathing,
It found one half of the Albertans polled saying they would leave Alberta if it became independent.
Folks blew those numbers up to cover the whole province and imagined 2.5 million Albertans leaving an independent Alberta.
In the two biggest cities, Calgary and Edmonton, hundreds upon hundreds of thousands would exit Alberta, mostly NDP and Liberal voters.
One dude with a calculator proclaims: 58 per cent of women would leave Alberta!
Thomas Lukaszuk, number two in the government of former premier Alison Redford, is the man behind the very successful petition where more than 400,000 signed on to Alberta staying in Canada.
But even Lukaszuk plays the fear card.
On social media he asks you to imagine what Alberta independence would mean to the price of your house.
He asks you to imagine several houses on every block with a ‘for sale’ sign.
Lukaszuk says in an independent Alberta federally employed Albertans would have to relocate. On this point, some people will shed no tears.
Family members, neighbours, your kid’s coach — gone.
He says separatists are asking U.S. President Donald Trump to help them set up an army and wonders if this army will fight Canadians.
Former premier Jason Kenney knows many are laughing at the doomsday scene and they are.
Half the population of Alberta leaving Alberta. Really?
Kenney, affectionately known to some as Professor Kenney, scolds those who are chuckling. He says it is no laughing matter and, like Lukaszuk, talks about tanking home prices after a yes vote to independence.
NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi wants a piece of the stage. In a video he says Smith would have Alberta walk away from Team Canada, the man trying a little piggybacking on the Olympics.
Er … didn’t Smith just sign a memorandum of understanding with Prime Minister Mark Carney in the hopes of getting a pipeline to the west coast?
Let us not forget Liberal perennial seat-warmer Stephane Dion.
Stephane Dion! This is helping Canada’s cause in Alberta?
Why not just throw in Justin Trudeau and Trudeau’s green guru Steven Guilbeault and make it a trio if you really want to be out of tune?
Dion demands Premier Smith be clear about where she stands. I thought she had. On Thursday she told newshounds she did not sign the referendum to have a vote on Alberta independence.
So here we are.
I wish those foaming at the mouth over separatism would show the same passion in fighting Ottawa over its mistreatment of Alberta, and that means more than sending the prime minister a strongly-worded letter of protest.
I wish they would present clear, well thought out arguments for Alberta staying in Canada.
It appears too much to hope for.
Much better to have an online witch hunt. A witch hunt is a lot more fun than a debate, way more fun.
So Premier
Smith is accused of being a separatist
.
Country singer Paul Brandt was reportedly punted from speaking at a convention of Alberta teachers and most believe it was because there were complaints he was a separatist.
Complaints and you’re done.
Even your humble scribbler is accused of being separatist for suggesting people don’t accuse other people of a treason they did not commit.
The emails flow in.
People saying they really will leave Alberta and everybody they know is leaving as well. Most have places picked out in Ontario.
One person asks if all those folks saying they’re leaving would sell their house at 50 cents on the dollar.
Another calls out many Albertans as traitors (that is so boring) or members of a cult or professional saboteurs or just a good old-fashioned idiots and figures the RCMP should investigate them.
“I actually feel a moral obligation to slime you,” adds the troubled soul.
There is occasional humour.
One guy says he is tempted to move to Alberta “and never have to listen to a Liberal ever again.”
At the end of the day, the question remains.
Does no one out there want to present an actual argument for Alberta staying in Canada besides speculating about a future real estate market?
There must be someone.