Letter to the Editor
Strike calls for anger management
To the editor:
Who can we get angry at?
We can’t get angry with the University Students’ Council, because clearly they can’t do much about this — not even an alternative bus service for the majority of off-campus students.
We can’t get angry at the City because it has “no legal right to get involved” despite the bus strike’s impact on London’s population.
We can’t get angry with London transit— they’re unprofitable as it is and are unable to make any concessions.
We can’t get angry with the bus drivers — they’re just doing their jobs and supposedly do not have any weight with their union.
We can’t get angry with the union, as it’s just trying to get its employees “fair” treatment in a recession, even though unions caused the fall of General Motors and massive job losses across North America, even though unions always want more.
So who do we get angry at?
We should probably blame ourselves — for choosing to save money by living farther from campus, for living on a bus route instead of driving a car, for not wanting to walk or cycle — in the middle of November.
It’s our fault really, so let’s be polite and courteous. Let’s swallow our anger every morning until we explode.
Or not.
—Natalia Ignatenko
HBA II
3 Comments
Perhaps we should consider, for a moment, the possibility that “getting angry” is not particularly useful, constructive or appropriate.
Perhaps we should consider that such misplaced vehemence is in fact the knee-jerk reaction of a privileged child not used to being inconvenienced. Who has mistakenly continued to believe that bellowing dissatisfaction solves complex problems. Perhaps we should consider that we have a word for “exploding”: a tantrum.
Perhaps in the past the adults around you, tired of your cries, did difficult things for you to minimize the impact of other things that you didn’t like. That was nice of them, but where are they now?
And perhaps one should lose faith in business education altogether when rapacious “unions” are blamed for job losses in an economy where billions of dollars have volatilized in an ludicrous investment bubble our esteemed and honorable “management” classes created and abetted and profited from.
Perhaps one could consider, for a moment, that unions in North America are far less prevalent and powerful than in, say, Europe, and thus make for rather risible bogeymen.
Or not. Be angry, child, and see how much it will accomplish for you.
Oh my goodness, that is just ridiculous. People being upset about having to walk for an hour in chilly November is not even close to a temper tantrum. This is not about being spoiled or feeling entitled. I’d say that we are indeed entitled to transit!
Anger may not be constructive, but I’d say it’s a very valid emotion considering the circumstances.
Wow, you’re bang on. Great letter!