I went to a protest yesterday, not my first nor mylast; but did learn a few interesting but unexpected things.
But first, a little backstory.
Here in Quebec (Canadian Vermont), we’ve got a Premier (Canadian Governor) named Francois Legault. Legault has been in office since 2018, with his party CAQ (yes, we know what it sounds like) as the majority.
While he started off strong, and tackled COVID better than most, it quickly became apparent that he intended to run Quebec as if it were its own nation, and if you didn’t fit in his mold of what a Quebec should look or sound like, well, you wouldn’t be in Quebec for long.
If you do a little bit of research, it’s not hard to find numerous examples of this, his isolationism, intolerance, bigotry and white nationalism. Sadly, none of that was enough to turn the province at large against him.
No, it was only when he began destroying industry after industry, that business leaders pulled their heads from the sand and asked- ‘So, when’s the next election’?
Most of what he’s done over the last few years is worthy of protest, but that’s not what I went out for yesterday.
In the mid-afternoon, I joined my wife and 13,000 doctors, specialists, residents and medical students at the Bell Centre to show unity against Bill 2. I won’t bore you with the specifics of what this bill, but a few key points-
- Medical Students who study in Quebec must agree to practice medicine in Quebec for 5 years after graduation.
- Doctors are penalized 15% of their remuneration for not meeting quotas set by the government, to no fault of their own. (Ie, You have to perform 1,000 surgeries per year. Not enough nurses to staff an OR? Tough. )
- Doctors must see more patients but spend less time with them. The government allots 7 minutes per patient. That’s enough, no?
- If a Doctor wishes to leave Quebec, they risk being investigated.
- Doctors will lose 30-40% of their current pay.
There’s plenty more, but broadly, it will mean a large decline in health care for patients and a mass exodus of the province’s doctors that is already under way.
It was a great event, with some spectacular speakers and I doubt this will be the last time I show up for this cause.
But, to bring it all back to me, here’s what I learned:
- If you have a protest, do it at a place where I can buy hot pretzel. Because I will show up.
- Should I ever have the opportunity to speak at a rally, I’m pretty certain I’d say “Fuck ____” and drop the mic.
- Doctors have a shockingly minimal grap on color theory, and they clearly do not understand the concept of ‘contrast’ when making signs and placards.
- There’s something almost nostalgic about a protest rally in French…
- …Where were the Guillotines?
Anyhow, Fuck Bill 2.
-sohmer
