Apathy, by Carey Heilman

Regina - January 14, 2001 - by: Carey Heilman

Are we apathetic?

I say, "Yes, we are"!

I was sitting in my living room watching television, feet on the coffee table, pillows behind my back, when I saw the commercial for a CBC Comedy program… The comedian asked the rhetorical question, "are we apathetic"?

He answered himself by saying, "Yes, but what you gonna do about it"?

Now, I paraphrased the commercial, but I hope you…the reader, get the drift.

Are Canadians the only people who are apathetic? Of course not! Are we more apathetic than other countries? Who knows? Maybe we should do a worldwide study on apathy? (Just kidding)

Regardless…we are apathetic, there is no doubt about that…we are well known for our meekness, our "what you gonna do about it attitude"!

Here in Saskatchewan, we are even more apathetic than the rest of the country. There are far fewer protests here than in other parts of the country.

I think that we suffer from something worse than apathy!

Whoa, hold on there! It was hard enough for me to accept you saying we are apathetic, Carey, now you are trying to tell me that we are worse than apathetic!! You better start explaining your self!!

Okay, Okay, I will!

When some average Joe/Joanne, starts speaking out about wrongs, injustices, or things that are simply wrong, we begin our knee jerk reactions. We react, by labeling without investigating. We go on the attack! Oh, hell, another kook, loser, weirdo, protester, freak, psycho, activist, attention seeker, in it for the money, reactionary, whiner, but worst of all, RADICAL!! Name calling without knowing the facts or accepting the media or governments side of the story is worse than being apathetic for sure.

In the 60’s and 70’s a RADICAL was a good thing…something to be proud of…now it is a derogatory term and this is part of the reason why we are so apathetic…who wants to be thought of as a "RADICAL"?! Especially with what the meaning the word projects today. Who wants to be held up to ridicule, or worse, thought of as a kook, loser, weirdo, protester, freak, psycho, activist, attention seeker, in it for the money, reactionary, whiner?

How did it happen that speaking out and being responsible to our world now holds this meaning? The answer is so simple that many fail to understand. The answer lies with those who the so-called radicals affect? The RADICALS almost always target Governments (of all sizes) and big business, which also happen to be the ones who have the most to lose if public opinion was unfavorable towards them. Government loses votes, big business loses money.

The good news for govt. and business is that both of them have full and easy access to media, the bad news for the radical is that they have advertisers and stakeholders to please, on top of that they have bureaucrats and board members to protect. But wait there is more good news for business and Government; they both have something that very few so-called radicals have…MONEY!! They can afford to launch media campaigns to counteract any and all attacks against the organization. There is an additional thing in favour of governments… they can easily tie things up for years and years through various means, eating up time and money the RADICALS don’t have. Plus they all have experts to deflect any negative media. Thus explaining why RADICALS use any means possible to get their message out! Of course this just makes these RADICALS kookier!!!

Everyone knows the old saying, "you can’t fight city hall". Everyone knows that big business has huge law firms and teams of lawyers on staff to deal with anything that may hurt them. In the case of the government, they can make laws so you cannot speak out against them, or laws that make access to information difficult. The person who chooses the path of the RADICAL has chosen a hard road…and is met with several years of media history that essentially says every RADICAL is a kook etc. etc. etc…

If we look at those who are fighting SGI and WCB in Saskatchewan we are all assume the worst that they are only in it for the money and we even go so far as to take the side of SGI and WCB by believing the myth that there are so many fakers out there that they (WCB and SGI) have to be tight fisted. In spite of the fact that less than 10% of people fake, we still think that the negative behaviours of such a small amount of fakers justifies SGI and WCB supposedly protecting their assets from these 10%, even when we know it is wrong to make life difficult for 90% of the injured. We easily turn our backs on people who by definition have already been harmed…because it is not happening to me, or it can’t happen to me! Which leads me to my next point…

If it is not happening to me then why should I care? I have enough problems and besides we are doing the best we can as a society and people are to dependant on society anyway, and everyone wants a hand out or some selfish need fulfilled, and on and on the excuses go. We have become too selfish to even telephone a legislator or write a letter, or complain to business on behalf of anyone…why? Because what can you do about it anyway?

I believe that we are so brainwashed into believing our opinions do not matter that we are immobilized. We have such a low opinion of ourselves and our other human beings that we automatically assume the worst of our fellow man. And with all the media out there confirming the worst of humanity why wouldn’t we think the worst.

Now I am not saying that you should agree with every RADICAL that says his or her cause is the best cause in the world of course there are some kooks out there, but I believe that most of us have enough common sense to not get involved with the protection of the mosquito, or the fight against persecuting child pornographers! Yet we fail to get behind good and just causes using a lot of the excuses mentioned earlier.

To me the worst sigh of apathy of all the signs and symptoms is the person who is directly affected by injustice yet does nothing about it because, "what ya gonna do…you can’t fight the government/business and win…and no one gives a damn anyway"!

When it comes to crimes against humanity, child prostitution, high crime, WCB, SGI, Human Rights, Farm Crisis, and these types of things, you do have a voice, you can protect yourself and others, by as little as a telephone call or a letter, yes you will be a RADICAL by taking even this smallest of action, but that is just because speaking out is not normal and anytime you break from the norm you are a RADICAL, and that is what the word RADICAL really means these days anyway.

Carey Heilman


Regina - January 14, 2001 - by: Carey Heilman

	Are we apathetic?

	I say, "Yes, we are"!

	I was sitting in my living room watching television, feet on the coffee table, pillows behind my back, when I saw the commercial for a CBC Comedy program… The comedian asked the rhetorical question, "are we apathetic"?

	He answered himself by saying, "Yes, but what you gonna do about it"?

	Now, I paraphrased the commercial, but I hope you…the reader, get the drift.

	Are Canadians the only people who are apathetic? Of course not! Are we more apathetic than other countries? Who knows? Maybe we should do a worldwide study on apathy? (Just kidding)

	Regardless…we are apathetic, there is no doubt about that…we are well known for our meekness, our "what you gonna do about it attitude"!

	Here in Saskatchewan, we are even more apathetic than the rest of the country. There are far fewer protests here than in other parts of the country.

	I think that we suffer from something worse than apathy!

	Whoa, hold on there! It was hard enough for me to accept you saying we are apathetic, Carey, now you are trying to tell me that we are worse than apathetic!! You better start explaining your self!!

	Okay, Okay, I will!

	When some average Joe/Joanne, starts speaking out about wrongs, injustices, or things that are simply wrong, we begin our knee jerk reactions. We react, by labeling without investigating. We go on the attack! Oh, hell, another kook, loser, weirdo, protester, freak, psycho, activist, attention seeker, in it for the money, reactionary, whiner, but worst of all, RADICAL!! Name calling without knowing the facts or accepting the media or governments side of the story is worse than being apathetic for sure.

	In the 60’s and 70’s a RADICAL was a good thing…something to be proud of…now it is a derogatory term and this is part of the reason why we are so apathetic…who wants to be thought of as a "RADICAL"?! Especially with what the meaning the word projects today. Who wants to be held up to ridicule, or worse, thought of as a kook, loser, weirdo, protester, freak, psycho, activist, attention seeker, in it for the money, reactionary, whiner?

	How did it happen that speaking out and being responsible to our world now holds this meaning? The answer is so simple that many fail to understand. The answer lies with those who the so-called radicals affect? The RADICALS almost always target Governments (of all sizes) and big business, which also happen to be the ones who have the most to lose if public opinion was unfavorable towards them. Government loses votes, big business loses money.

	The good news for govt. and business is that both of them have full and easy access to media, the bad news for the radical is that they have advertisers and stakeholders to please, on top of that they have bureaucrats and board members to protect. But wait there is more good news for business and Government; they both have something that very few so-called radicals have…MONEY!! They can afford to launch media campaigns to counteract any and all attacks against the organization. There is an additional thing in favour of governments… they can easily tie things up for years and years through various means, eating up time and money the RADICALS don’t have. Plus they all have experts to deflect any negative media. Thus explaining why RADICALS use any means possible to get their message out! Of course this just makes these RADICALS kookier!!!

	Everyone knows the old saying, "you can’t fight city hall". Everyone knows that big business has huge law firms and teams of lawyers on staff to deal with anything that may hurt them. In the case of the government, they can make laws so you cannot speak out against them, or laws that make access to information difficult. The person who chooses the path of the RADICAL has chosen a hard road…and is met with several years of media history that essentially says every RADICAL is a kook etc. etc. etc…

	If we look at those who are fighting SGI and WCB in Saskatchewan we are all assume the worst that they are only in it for the money and we even go so far as to take the side of SGI and WCB by believing the myth that there are so many fakers out there that they (WCB and SGI) have to be tight fisted. In spite of the fact that less than 10% of people fake, we still think that the negative behaviours of such a small amount of fakers justifies SGI and WCB supposedly protecting their assets from these 10%, even when we know it is wrong to make life difficult for 90% of the injured. We easily turn our backs on people who by definition have already been harmed…because it is not happening to me, or it can’t happen to me! Which leads me to my next point…

	If it is not happening to me then why should I care? I have enough problems and besides we are doing the best we can as a society and people are to dependant on society anyway, and everyone wants a hand out or some selfish need fulfilled, and on and on the excuses go. We have become too selfish to even telephone a legislator or write a letter, or complain to business on behalf of anyone…why? Because what can you do about it anyway?

	I believe that we are so brainwashed into believing our opinions do not matter that we are immobilized. We have such a low opinion of ourselves and our other human beings that we automatically assume the worst of our fellow man. And with all the media out there confirming the worst of humanity why wouldn’t we think the worst.

	Now I am not saying that you should agree with every RADICAL that says his or her cause is the best cause in the world of course there are some kooks out there, but I believe that most of us have enough common sense to not get involved with the protection of the mosquito, or the fight against persecuting child pornographers! Yet we fail to get behind good and just causes using a lot of the excuses mentioned earlier.

	To me the worst sigh of apathy of all the signs and symptoms is the person who is directly affected by injustice yet does nothing about it because, "what ya gonna do…you can’t fight the government/business and win…and no one gives a damn anyway"!

	When it comes to crimes against humanity, child prostitution, high crime, WCB, SGI, Human Rights, Farm Crisis, and these types of things, you do have a voice, you can protect yourself and others, by as little as a telephone call or a letter, yes you will be a RADICAL by taking even this smallest of action, but that is just because speaking out is not normal and anytime you break from the norm you are a RADICAL, and that is what the word RADICAL really means these days anyway.

	Carey Heilman