Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM

“I’m not political.” You hear it everywhere now, from individuals to businesses. I have never understood that position because everything is political! The laws that govern your work, your business, your property, your speech, your health decisions, your taxes, none of that exists outside of politics. Choosing not to engage doesn’t remove you from it, it just means you accept whatever decisions are made without your input. And then there’s this reality we seem to accept as the status quo, that you shouldn’t express your views, especially at work. Why do we just accept that? Since when did having principles become something you’re expected to hide? Of course there’s a line, be professional, be respectful, but having a viewpoint, asking questions, or standing for something shouldn’t be treated like a problem to manage or a dirty taboo. At some point, we have confused neutrality with safety and silence with professionalism. But guess what! Life isn’t meant to be comfortable, so let’s stop pretending! Moreover, a culture where people are constantly walking on eggshells and restricting their thoughts and speech is not healthy and it’s not what a free society should look like. And somewhere along the way, we lost the backbone to stand for something. To speak on principle, even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular. Instead, we hedge. We soften. We stay silent, not because we have nothing to say, but because we are afraid of how it will be received. That is not strength. And it is not a free society. A free society depends on people who are willing to think, speak, and stand for something and take responsibility for the consequences of those views. Or are we too afraid of that too? Because if you can’t say what you believe, even respectfully, what exactly are we protecting?

To me, the interesting story is not how the right will react to Poilievre's appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast.....but rater how the left is/will react(ing).

“I’m not political.” You hear it everywhere now, from individuals to businesses. I have never understood that position because everything is political! The laws that govern your work, your business, your property, your speech, your health decisions, your taxes, none of that exists outside of politics. Choosing not to engage doesn’t remove you from it, it just means you accept whatever decisions are made without your input. And then there’s this reality we seem to accept as the status quo, that you shouldn’t express your views, especially at work. Why do we just accept that? Since when did having principles become something you’re expected to hide? Of course there’s a line, be professional, be respectful, but having a viewpoint, asking questions, or standing for something shouldn’t be treated like a problem to manage or a dirty taboo. At some point, we have confused neutrality with safety and silence with professionalism. But guess what! Life isn’t meant to be comfortable, so let’s stop pretending! Moreover, a culture where people are constantly walking on eggshells and restricting their thoughts and speech is not healthy and it’s not what a free society should look like. And somewhere along the way, we lost the backbone to stand for something. To speak on principle, even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular. Instead, we hedge. We soften. We stay silent, not because we have nothing to say, but because we are afraid of how it will be received. That is not strength. And it is not a free society. A free society depends on people who are willing to think, speak, and stand for something and take responsibility for the consequences of those views. Or are we too afraid of that too? Because if you can’t say what you believe, even respectfully, what exactly are we protecting?

Literally every day I see posts about healthy habits and real prevention including the benefits of sunlight, saunas, sea salt for trace minerals, daily movement, cold exposure, proper sleep, breathwork, whole foods, reducing processed sugar, supporting gut health, even simple things like walking after meals or getting outside first thing in the morning. Yet when have you ever heard a public health agency in Canada mention any of these things? What about the advice given during a “worldwide respiratory pandemic”?! Go home. Isolate. Don’t see people. Really?! Are we still going to pretend that advice was for our health?! Liquor stores open. Fast food open. Casinos open. Processed food available. But gyms and yoga studios closed?! For our “health”?! When is the last time you ever saw messaging about improving metabolic health? About reducing processed foods? About vitamin D from sunlight? About maintaining importance of muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness? About keeping your immune system resilient? What happed to “Get fit and have fun!”? And we are told these institutions are about our health and safety? Come on! That requires a level of naïveté I simply cannot accept. And what about the medical profession more broadly? How do you watch population health decline, rising obesity, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and remain largely silent on root causes? Is the system so lost that speaking with common sense is nonexistent? I genuinely struggle to understand it. Here is what I do know: Do not leave your health and safety in someone else’s hands. Do not let fear into your mind or hate in into your heart. Eat real food. Move your body. Get sunlight. Sleep well. Read. Connect with people. And smile. That is my prescription for health and safety. Every year, as I “age” I feel stronger in body and mind and I hope you will to.