Albertans need to hold politicians accountable for their rhetoric

In the last several decades, politics has become an ugly game. Whether it’s pointing fingers at political opponents or setting double standards for political gain, politicians have displayed little emotion or sympathy in the face of power and fame. But now, politics has reached a point where ugly is simply an understatement. A more befitting description would be poisonous. Contemporary political ideologies have seeped through the walls shielding everyday Albertans, pushing polarizing perspectives and dangerous rhetoric. And now Albertans must change their course of action or deal with the consequences.

Unprecedented for the 21st century, the assassination attempt on United States (U.S.) presidential candidate Donald Trump showed how rhetoric can turn into violence. It emphasized the importance of changing course. Considering the similarities in rhetoric between Alberta and the U.S., we must learn from this act of political violence.

Albertans from all political views and beliefs must hold our politicians accountable to lower the political temperature. There is no one political party or one group of individuals who is exempt from that responsibility. Pointing fingers at one another and blaming political opponents will only add to the problem.

Looking back at the rise in polarization and extreme rhetoric, it’s difficult to pinpoint one single event as the catalyst. Rather, seemingly isolated incidents have accumulated to gradually raise the political temperature. One example of this was in 2021 when Danielle Smith, the current premier of Alberta, made comparisons between vaccinated Albertans and Nazis. She later apologized following backlash, as people were concerned Smith’s remarks only fuelled the divide between vaccinated and unvaccinated Albertans.

Then, in 2022, Ubaka Ogbogu, a University of Alberta professor, criticized Jason Kenney on X, which Kenney, then premier of Alberta, angrily responded to. After Kenney’s post an anonymous caller left Ogbogu a threatening voicemail message filled with racist remarks. The caller also targeted a University of Calgary professor, Melanee Thomas, for publicly supporting Ogbogu after Kenney’s response. Ultimately, Kenney’s response all but encouraged people to target Ogbogu and Thomas for expressing their opinions. It’s not far fetched to think any of these instances could have resulted in real violence against people.

Just a few months ago, an individual motivated by political ideologies stormed Edmonton’s City Hall, throwing Molotov Cocktails and firing several rounds from a rifle. At the time of the incident, there was an elementary class visiting City Hall. The class was almost caught in the crossfire of a politically motivated attack. We can’t simply wait for politicians to collectively come together and condemn all forms of physical and verbal violence. We must put pressure on our politicians to do so before this becomes normalized, as it has in the U.S..

Violent and dangerous rhetoric only threatens the stable democracy that is the basis for life in Canada. With democracy built upon the needs and wants of the people, the current fragility of Alberta’s political situation calls upon the people more than ever. We need to hold politicians accountable for the rhetoric they use. Regular Albertans need to call out politicians when they make dangerous comments. All of us must lead politicians with our actions, by not acknowledging and partaking in their political games. Because if it is not us, then who else?

With the Edmonton municipal election and federal election next fall, and the next provincial election still three years away, it is not too late to change the direction that Alberta politics is heading towards. However, it will take shared responsibility and integrity from politicians and everyday Albertans, regardless of their beliefs. This moment transcends politics, and will be a test of the humanity within us. One wrong step, and the consequences could be irreparable.