At its best, Thursday night’s Kay Meek Centre meeting was a collegial exchange of informed opinions regarding the NDP-backed school tax. At its worst, it was a bile-filled grotesquerie during which prominent Realtor Allan Angell declared: “The NDP should be shot.”
Angell later said he was joking, although a clinical analysis of his comments reveal no trace of setup, punchline, irony, or wit.
But more illuminating than Angell’s buffoonery was the reaction it incited. A roar of cheers rose from the Kay Meek’s near-capacity crowd, followed by a silence.
The meeting continued for 15 minutes and no one – not former West Vancouver mayor and event MC Mark Sager, not West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy, not the five West Van councillors, nor any of the residents who packed the non-political town hall – spoke up for decency. An unhinged individual might take their silence for approval.
On behalf of West Vancouver council, Coun. Craig Cameron condemned the remark Monday. The gesture was late but appreciated.
The school tax hike is new, and for many affected, so is political protest. We encourage West Vancouverites to organize and advocate but, like all protesters, they need to rally without inciting humanity’s most destructive impulses.
From the name of the school tax to its implementation, there is much to debate about the policy. But we should debate with the expectation that we all hold our positions for the same reason: we want B.C. to be a better place.
Let’s all be a little more decent to each other. It’s worth a shot.
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