The term “gaslighting” comes from a 1930’s play called Gas Light. In this play the main character tries to drive his wife crazy by progressively dimming the gas-powered lights in their home. When she notices the lights dimming, her husband denies that the lights are dimming, and convinces her that she is imagining it to the point where she questions her own sanity. Psychology Today defines gaslighting as:
…a form of persistent manipulation and brainwashing that causes the victim to doubt her or himself, and to ultimately lose one’s own sense of perception, identity, and self-worth. Gaslighting statements and accusations are usually based on blatant lies, or exaggeration of the truth.
In my (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) book, A Shattered New Start, the bully Ryan practices gaslighting by convincing a classmate that he is a loser, causing his victim to lose his sense of identity and self-worth. Really, what is gaslighting? It’s bullying (#bullying #antibullying) plain and simple, and I’m just beginning to understand that there is a lot of gaslighting happening right now, and perhaps always has been. Let me explain.
One of the lines in Canada’s National Anthem is “God keep our land glorious and free!” The truth is, Canadians are not free. A line in the American National Anthem says, “O’er the land of the free,” and from what I can tell, Americans are not free either, and that is true for much of the world. Have we been gaslighted? Have we been manipulated and brainwashed with blatant lies, or exaggerated truth, to believe we live in a free country? We certainly aren’t free right now.
In Canada, as part of our constitution, is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That charter seems to be missing in recent times. The Charter, under Fundamental Freedoms, says:
We’re free to think our own thoughts, speak our minds, listen to views of others and express our opinions in creative ways. We’re also free to meet with anyone we wish and participate in peaceful demonstrations.
Despite those constitutionally guaranteed rights, Rebel News reports Toronto police ARREST lockdown protesters and Edmonton police DETAIN three men at anti-lockdown protest . You’ll notice I mainly rely on independent news sources because I no longer trust, nor pay attention, to Mainstream Media (MM). Why you ask? MM gaslights all the time, and here are a couple of examples. CTV violated the code of ethics for Canadian broadcasters, as reported in True North News’ article, CTV broke ethics code in biased report on former president Trump. USA’s CNN has retracted several stories because of false information, like this story: 3 journalists resign from CNN after network retracts Russia-related story. There is a reason why Americans Remain Distrustful of Mass Media. This article reports on a September 2020 survey that says 27% of Americans have “not very much” trust and 33% “none at all” in MM. That means 60% of Americans do not trust the media. I’ve seen a new phrase lately; “fear porn,” in reference to the MM’s constant fear mongering. I’ll remind you of Malcolm X’s words:
“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”
“Fear porn” is spread by Canada’s prime minister. Rebel News’ article, Trudeau: Incoming travellers will be charged $2,000 to pay for mandatory quarantine hotel stays. explains that all arrivals will also have to undergo PCR COVID-19 testing and then isolate in “an approved hotel” for up to three days while they wait for their result. Those who test negative will then be released with conditions while positive cases will have to stay in hotels until they recover. To further “rub salt in the wound,” Trudeau expects people who are forced to isolate in “hotel prisons” to pay out of their pocket. Yet, foreign workers are not required to quarantine (see Foreign workers). I guess only Canadians spread COVID 19 and foreign workers do not. Canada’s Charter Mobility rights states that Canadian citizens have the right to enter, remain in, and leave Canada, but I guess we’ve been gaslighted.
There are many independent news reports of what is being called “medical kidnapping,” and “medical tyranny.” Rebel News’ report; Woman held against her will at Calgary quarantine hotel, states that Nikki Mathis was legally kidnapped by unnamed federal authorities at the Calgary Airport. She was told by authorities that the negative COVID test she received in Texas didn’t count, and she would have to immediately comply and be moved to a detention facility controlled by Trudeau’s government. The officers refused to tell her family where she was being detained, as she was placed in a white van with a police escort. Here is a video of another very upset mother’s experience of her son’s arrival to Canada.
This is abuse and brutal bullying by our government, it’s shameful. The Calgary woman held against her will was told her negative COVID test didn’t count, implying that PCR tests are unreliable. Even the WHO cautions health workers on the reliability of the PCR test (see WHO). The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, under Protection against cruel and unusual punishment, says the Charter protects everyone from cruel and unusual punishment. Medical kidnapping violates that protection. Canadians are under the false belief that they are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but I guess it’s just another example of Canadians being gaslighted. There are similar happenings in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and likely other countries.
Diverge Media reports on a national survey reports that 38% of Canadians support government suspension of civil liberties and rights—Charter Rights—during this alleged pandemic. The questions of the survey are alarming, like this one:
Do you support or oppose police and health officials being authorized to separate family members at their discretion by removing people from homes and housing them somewhere else to reduce or eliminate the risk of COVID spread?
Why do I fear the loss of my freedoms? Benjamin Franklin said: “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” We risk never getting them back.
One has to ask: Is what is happening on our planet really about protecting us from a virus, or is it something else? Raheel Raza, a Canadian Iraqi, compares her and her husband’s experience of living in Iraq under dictator Saddam Hussein to what is presently happening in Canada and the US. Here is her video:
I can only speak for myself, but I found Ms. Raza’s video highly disturbing since we were told, Canada is a free country. Remember our National Anthem says: “The True North strong and free!” That is not the case these days, so we’ve been gaslighted. It is time to ask yourself some questions. Does a virus with over a 99% survival rate warrant removal of our civil liberties, and abuse from our elected and health officials? Is it necessary for governments and health professionals to bully us to “keep us safe?” Is it the government or is it us personally who is responsible for our health? Are we a free country or not? Is fear causing people to willingly forfeit their rights and freedoms to feel safe? Are authorities using fear to control people?
If we fear, we can be controlled. These travel restrictions are designed to make us fearful of travelling. Fear cannot have power over us unless we allow it. In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt,’ “Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself.” It’s a choice. We choose, either consciously or unconsciously, to allow fear to control us. Paulo Coelho of The Devil and Miss Prym, said; “Fear again. If you want to control someone, all you have to do is to make them feel afraid.”
There is no shortage of fear narratives out there. There is no shortage of fear behaviours by the very people who are supposed to be protecting us. When we allow those fear narratives, or behaviours, to take hold of us, we panic and worry, and that puts us in fear mode. When fearful, we become paralyzed and more easily controlled, willingly giving up our freedoms to gain a false sense of safety. No matter whether you are fearful of the virus, or fearful of government behaviour, it is time to step out of that fear and become free again. Aristotle once said; “He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.” Now getting back the freedoms that we willing gave up is another story. After all, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said; “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
Sommer Season all year 