Children
From the beginning of this union unrest, the strikers had their plan for their activities as if we were in a business area. Foul language, bullying, accusations, yelling, noise, and stating horrible things. In a normal strike, businesses are picketed in front of, and people could choose to go to that business or not. Parents with children could avoid the area.
You are not in a business area.
You are at our home.
We are not a seniors’ complex; there generally aren't kids there – usually only as visitor for a short period and then they go home. Or the parents choose not to bring them on their visits.
We are not an assisted living facility. Again, you don’t see much kids around.
This is our home. We have seniors, people with disabilities, people without disabilities and guess what? WE HAVE KIDS HERE. We have families here. At several points we have had up to four generations of a family here. An intentional community. And we choose to have children here.
But you continue to picket with your awful bag of union tactics. As adults we don’t understand why you are so abusive, yell, bully, insult, taunt… So if as adults we can’t make sense of the abuse, what about the kids? And our children can’t choose to go somewhere else.
And kids are watching.
Our kids.
Our neighbours' kids.
Our kids were also approached to be given AUPE literature and lured to the AUPE van by the promise of ice cream. So our parents pulled their children inside. We encouraged them to play outside when the strikers were gone. But during your 10:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. break – you really weren't gone. We know one person was left back in a car with tinted windows to continue to document and this made our kids feel creepy. So this summer for our kids hasn't been a very good one. Great summer weather but intimidation always looming.
Children.
On the picket line.
Participating on the picket line.
Surrounding a vehicle while at the back of the vehicle (you remember where the exhaust comes out?) a parent holds the hands of two preschool children to participate in surrounding and detaining the car. They don’t have a choice in being there or not.
I called Child Abuse Hot-line. They said it is not abuse. I spoke with a police officer who said parents can choose to have their children involved on picket lines, demonstrations, rallies and so forth. The police will not intervene to protect your children. No one will. We tried.
So if you bring your child(ren) to the picket line, in an environment that seems to be getting more and more hostile, we cannot in any way ensure that your children are safe. They are witnessing foul language, bullying, accusations, yelling, and hearing horrible things said about other people.
Parents: you are responsible for keeping your kids safe.
You chose to bring them on the picket line.
You will be held responsible for their actions (such damaging Co-op property – especially when you encourage them to do so – such as picking flowers from our garden/causing damage.)
You are choosing to bring children to the picket line – knowing full well of the risks.
You are responsible if they fall down and get hurt.
You are responsible for them hearing and seeing what happens on a picket line – the good, the bad, the ugly.
You are responsible for any psychological damage due to what your children see and hear and are forced to participate in.
You are responsible if they have hearing loss, stress, misbehaviour at home and so forth. Consequences of your actions as parents.
Your choice.
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