FORSETH – Ski-hill trash talk aimed at Trudeau was totally inappropriate

WOW … a few seconds – eight words — of uncouth and vulgar speech has brought about a firestorm of opposing opinions across social media.

Those 8 words?  “Get the f— out of BC. You suck”, were spoken by twice failed school trustee (Nelson 2022 and Castlegar 2024) candidate Emily Duggan, who is also, apparently, subject to a peace bond and ordered to stay away from an elementary school.

I posted a story about this on my own political Facebook page, yesterday (Sunday, Dec. 29), and boy did it start a raft of comments, agreeing with her right to say what she did, but also firmly opposing her comment.  Here’s just a few examples:

•    He has it coming. The narcissist

•    Why? They’re getting old enough to know that their Dad is well, well past his governing expiry date. He is genuinely hated in many corners of this polite land of ours.

•    Trudeau is trash and he wrecked our country. You’re part of the problem! People sleeping in their vehicles or not eating cause of him. You’re a prime example of when cousin is just a word! You should leave too.

•    The criminal will be exposed and try to run to other countries. Hopefully he takes his kids with him no more POS with the Trudeau last name can ever step in House of Commons again

•    It’s not polite or civil. It’s not harassment either, if it’s only once, given his position. It’s not a rock or explosive drone through the windshield, so it could be worse. It wasn’t in the driveway at school, or Christmas dinner. His kids were safe throughout.

Really – it’s okay because it wasn’t a rock, or explosive, thrown through a window … it could have been worse?  Of course, it could have been worse, but that doesn’t make what she did right.

Thankfully, there were also comments from those opposed to what Duggan had to say:

•    Surely, we are not condoning a politician being harassed when he is on a vacation with family? Completely unacceptable in my view.

•    I mourn the death of civility, on all sides of the political and social spectrum

•    I can stand in front of a person and dress them down, quite brutally too, but I never have to swear. I never have to raise my voice. I don’t have to insult them. I just have to tell them why they are wrong with a reasoned argument.

I also appreciated the more thoughtful and articulate comments expressed in the following (edited for brevity):

•    This “person” is nothing more than an uncouth bully looking for attention. Those on the far right sharing her video are contributing to the problem. We’re not all on duty at our jobs 24/7/365. We are allowed vacations, and, on our vacations, we are off duty. We can be with our families. We don’t have to answer questions or be at the beck and call of some stranger. I sure as Hell won’t be voting Liberal this year, but that doesn’t mean I have to go around being rude and sounding ignorant.

NO ONE, I don’t care what their politics/beliefs, has ‘it coming’, as one individual remarked.

For those who do believe Trudeau ‘had it coming’, would they exclude themselves from having abuse heaped on them, especially if it was in front of their children?

I ask this because of one who remarked, “On the list of things not to do in front of the children, this is pretty far down from the top”.

It appeared, from checking their Facebook profile page, that they have children, which is why I asked:

“You’ve justified as okay using that kind of language in front of his kids.  Would that be fine in front of your kids? If not now, in two years? How about 5?”

To give them credit, he did replay by saying, “If I got that in front of them, for good reason, it’s an unfortunate teachable moment. Sometimes being rude IS the message, as unpleasant as that is.”

I wonder though if they would agree being rude would include this comment, partially directed at me:

F— Trudeau and his spawn. It’s good that he can’t go anywhere in Canada without being told where to go. How many families and kids did he fuck over? Right. Now go f— yourself.

Thanks, but no thanks, I don’t think I’ll do that.

Whether in public or hidden behind a computer screen making rude and vicious comments, it seems like some (many) feel they have the right to say anything that crosses their mind.

It reminds me of an acronym I was made aware of several years ago; OTMOTM  It means, “On the mind, out the mouth.”  Those who suffer from OTMOTM (and I’ve been guilty of it myself on occasion) also seem unable to take a few moments to think first before commenting.

As always, people will disagree with me and argue I’m wrong. It’s fine by me, I don’t care.

In my opinion, what Emily Duggan said was wrong. It was crude and vulgar, and totally inappropriate to say in a public place, especially in front of his children.

No amount of excusing it as free speech, or that he was deserving of what was said, is going to change my mind.

Alan Forseth is a Kamloops resident. For 40 years he has been active, in a number of capacities, in local, provincial and federal politics, including running as a candidate for the BC Reform Party in the 1996 provincial election. He is a member of the BC Conservative Party and was the campaign manager for the party in the Kamloops-North Thompson riding in this year’s provincial election.