In politics, workplaces, everyday conversation with acquaintances and even friends, not saying what we actually believe is too common. It can be seen as kind, polite, or that dreadful word, nice. What’s the result of this “over-niceness,” where silence is rewarded?
In Indian Residential Schools, silence resulted in predators that continued for years. In our public schools today that means guiding your child to avoid taking classes from the worst teachers, instead of speaking up. At USA Gymnastics, it means they are still fighting to defend those who knew about Larry Nasser but remained silent. At work, it means business practices don’t improve, because no one dares offending the boss.
At some places of work, staff who look the other way or ignore problems are rewarded for being loyal. It is not the brightest and most motivated that are rewarded, but the one who makes the boss feel good by pretending that everything is amazing and perfect. Praise the incompetent boss and you have a job for life or at least as long as the business lasts.
In politics, the consequences of silence are particularly bad.
MP Jody Wilson-Raybould knows of the results of not being silent first-hand. As Attorney General she believed it was wrong to interfere in the judicial system, and when she said so, she was sidelined and removed to a less powerful position. One would think that she would be lauded, and that her boss would be run out of office. Nope. Enough people voted for Justin Trudeau to be re-elected and his party is high in the polls.
This week when Wilson-Raybould announced her intention to not run for MP again, she cited specifically the toxic environment in Parliament, and how it seems there is less and less focus on working together for Canadians and this has increased over the last five years. In Parliament, the place that swears to work for Canadians? How can there be any hope then for any policies put forth by a government that cannot even value the people elected to represent them? It is an outrage. Read her statement for yourself. As she says, it is time for the people to lead their leaders. But are there any people left that can show our leaders what it means to be a people worth a democracy?
If municipal politics is the place where politicians are trained, I cannot be very hopeful. We re-elected a benevolent, smiling, kindly mayor and most councillors, whose best asset seemed to be they weren’t controversial. Problem is, their defence of their most recent incompetence was “We didn’t ask the hard questions.” It feels like the rule is “Don’t say anything stupid. In fact, don’t say anything.”
We have come to expect our elected representatives to be like the Queen, cutting ribbons, smiling nicely, never saying a word out of turn. We are electing people who would make fine dinner party guests, perfect for the chair that needs to be filled by someone unobjectionable and won’t make anyone uncomfortable. Show up and shut up, don’t say anything controversial, and you are gold seems to be the order of the day. Problem is, who is left running the government?
