Behind-the-scenes of The Missive #6

Seeking equity and rebelling with large, lush plants plus what I'm reading, watching and listening to now

Hello subscribers,

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Thoughts ahead of the next newsletter:

I don’t know about you but sometimes the ridiculousness of the world gets me down and I have to take a break from it and get back to basics. This is how I’ve been feeling this last month, especially after the Beltline counterprotests and my experience with the convoy protesters, the terrible police response and the resulting police commission controversy.

Effin' Birds @EffinBirds

After writing an article for the Anti-Hate Network, some people connected to the network gave me advice on protecting myself and my family online from doxxing. Unfortunately, I’m already pretty exposed online so I can’t really do much about that but did spend almost a full day locking down some of my more personal content. I may still share that content in this newsletter so that’s one option (see below).

I also have a fairly extensive list of blocked users on my Twitter account so I think I’m well-covered there. I’ve removed my name from my Twitter handle and cleaned up my LinkedIn account to eliminate any connection to my employer.

After that, I went on to write an article for The Energy Mix, and then took a few days off work to visit my family in Grande Prairie. It was lovely to spend time with them but now I’m back to reality.

Some have said the whole Beltline experience last month was a “win” because the community came together and stood up to the protesters, a group that has been heavily infiltrated and increasingly directed by the hate movement in Canada.

A screen capture from the public Telegram chat in March.

Another screen capture from April’s public Telegram chat.

As a result of the Beltline community’s actions, the protesters moved the location of their weekly event a few blocks north into the downtown, just outside City Hall. But the “freedom” parades continue to displace other community groups, most recently an autism awareness event that had been planned for months.

“The festival has been held at Olympic Plaza for the last nine years, until organizers realized the freedom protests nearby would negatively impact attendees with sensory disabilities, explained event co-ordinator Tracy Mendoza. “If there was any honking of horns, people protesting or loud sounds that weren’t in the accepted sensory realm, we were afraid that the kids might have a reaction,” Mendoza said.