Image Credit: The Canadian Press

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: No need to worry about Canadians sneaking into Trumpland

Mar 30, 2020 | 5:00 AM

KAMLOOPS — AN OPINION POLL says public confidence in the job our healthcare system is doing on the COVID-19 pandemic has slipped.

Not a lot, just a little, which is OK considering the amount of stress we’re all under right now.

About the same time the Angus Reid Institute poll was released, Donald Trump was musing about sending troops to the Canadian border, presumably to keep us from trying to sneak into the U.S.

This was good for a chuckle and we thank the American president for bringing some levity into an otherwise very unfunny situation.

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Trumpland now boasts the highest COVID-19 numbers in the world despite the president’s daily fib fest about what a fine job he’s doing.

Here at home, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau steps outside each morning and updates us on what’s going on. Healthcare officials and politicians in each province do the same. There’s a sense of unity about it; even Doug Ford is getting compliments for how he’s handling everything.

The question periods at all these briefings are amazingly civil. Questions are calmly moderated with no shouting.

Trump’s media events, on the other hand, are a clamour of shouted questions from reporters, with him picking which ones he’s going to answer. As often as not, he throws in an insult or two aimed at the media and/ or the Democrats. It’s all political, a chance for Trump to brag.

Maybe it’s just the difference in manners between our two countries, but I think it’s more than that. It’s about our Canadian conviction that we’ve got to work together rather than trying to shout over each other.

Donald Trump doesn’t have to worry about us sneaking into the U.S. Our system might not be perfect, but we’ll keep it, thanks.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He writes five commentaries a week for CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.