Montrealmom.com
  • Being Mom
    • Planning /Pregnant
    • Mom of Infant
    • Mom of Toddler
    • Mom of Schoolage Child
    • Mom Of Teen
    • Mom of Twins or More
  • Life
    • Time Management
    • Work & Entrepreneurship
    • Family & Relationships
    • Childcare & Education
    • Money
    • Me.
  • Fun
    • Event Calendar
    • Crafts & Activities at Home
    • Organized Activities
    • Outings
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Disney Fun
  • Food
    • Recipes
      • All
      • Baby Food Recipes
      • Beef
      • Beverages
      • Breads
      • Desserts
      • Eggs & Dairy
      • Fish
      • Pasta
      • Poultry
      • Salads
      • Sauces & Dressings
      • Sides
      • Snacks
      • Soups
      • Vegetarian
    • Menu Planning
    • Nutrition
    • Entertaining
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Safety
    • Home & Garden
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Weight Watchers
    • Shopping
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • DIY
    • Living Green
    • Montreal
  • Travel
    • Family
    • Travel Tips
    • Disney
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Apps & Tech
    • Automotive
    • Products & Services
    • Toys
  • Directory
    • Activity Centers
    • Caterering / Pret À Manger
    • Classes
    • Home Services
    • Parties and Related Services
    • Photographers
    • Professional Services
    • Services
    • Services for Mom
  • Work with Us
  • About
    • About Us
    • In the Media
  • Contact

Montrealmom.com

  • Being Mom
    • Planning /Pregnant
    • Mom of Infant
    • Mom of Toddler
    • Mom of Schoolage Child
    • Mom Of Teen
    • Mom of Twins or More
  • Life
    • Time Management
    • Work & Entrepreneurship
    • Family & Relationships
    • Childcare & Education
    • Money
    • Me.
  • Fun
    • Event Calendar
    • Crafts & Activities at Home
    • Organized Activities
    • Outings
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Disney Fun
  • Food
    • Recipes
      • All
      • Baby Food Recipes
      • Beef
      • Beverages
      • Breads
      • Desserts
      • Eggs & Dairy
      • Fish
      • Pasta
      • Poultry
      • Salads
      • Sauces & Dressings
      • Sides
      • Snacks
      • Soups
      • Vegetarian
    • Menu Planning
    • Nutrition
    • Entertaining
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Safety
    • Home & Garden
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Weight Watchers
    • Shopping
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • DIY
    • Living Green
    • Montreal
  • Travel
    • Family
    • Travel Tips
    • Disney
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Apps & Tech
    • Automotive
    • Products & Services
    • Toys
  • Directory
    • Activity Centers
    • Caterering / Pret À Manger
    • Classes
    • Home Services
    • Parties and Related Services
    • Photographers
    • Professional Services
    • Services
    • Services for Mom
  • Work with Us
  • About
    • About Us
    • In the Media
  • Contact
Covid-19Health & Safety

The Golden Calf was a Mistake…Let’s Not Repeat it.

written by Tanya Toledano

Just to be clear, I am not speaking in literal terms of creating an actual golden calf.  I am talking about the human inclination to lose faith in a proven leader when we lose patience with that leader for not delivering an anticipated result as expediently as we had hoped…or when that leader is pushing us outside of our comfort zone or that leader has somehow offended our sensibilities.

Six weeks ago, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. The following night, many schools in Québec began to close. By Friday, many citizens began self-isolating in the hopes to flatten the curve. François Legault and his team spared no time in doing anything and everything that needed to be done to flatten the curve and make sure that our medical system did not become overwhelmed.

New measures were added daily. Let’s recall that not everyone was on the bandwagon’ of self-isolation at the beginning. Facebook was abuzz accusing those who chose to do so of ‘panicking’. The government had to do a big job educating citizens as to why we needed to stay at home. Many did not agree. They didn’t care about ‘getting the flu’ and were upset with the government for shutting things down when they did. Many people were (understandably) worried about loss of income on a micro level and the economy in general at a macro level.

Until they started to see the wisdom of his ways.

And then François Legault became a ROCKSTAR. Everyone was expressing their gratitude to him for his exemplary leadership, including many people who did not believe in some of his politics prior to this pandemic.

At this point, I continue to believe that François Legault is, by any definition, a true and exemplary leader. He has been unafraid to act, unafraid to make tough decisions, and has been a calming force in the face of an unnerving situation, to put it lightly.

He addressed us all daily, together with Danielle McCann and Dr. Horacio Arruda – except on his ‘days off’ (again, leading by example that EVERYONE needs a break and ought not be ashamed to take one).

I will ‘interject’ with a word about these two team members:

Danielle McCann, our Minister of Health and Social Services is beyond professional, tells it like it is and I have tremendous respect for her continued reminders that we have to do everything in our power to keep our elderly safe….as they are the ones who built this province. . It is no secret that I feel this way.  In one of my very first posts about Covid-19, I said pretty much the same thing.

Dr. Horacio Arruda, our National Director of Public Health – What can I say?  He’s the ‘science guy’ but the media wants to question his science. That’s ok – it’s the media’s job to question. I happened to agree with him when he did not want to give projections…but as he said about the media ‘ You’re going to kill me if I don’t’. I remember watching and thinking to myself how right he was that these projections would not serve to improve our situation in any way and how could anyone give an accurate projection on what is to be expected of a virus that behaves differently than any virus we have ever seen? And yet, the people…and my fellow members of the media pressed him for projections. I understand that they were just doing their job. Out of curiosity, speaking of projections, why have we not seen headlines to the effect that Dr. Arruda reported that we PREVENTED 40,000 to 50,000 DEATHS by taking the measures we took? Is this not ‘newsworthy’ enough?

Let me be clear, I do not mean to suggest that François Legault is a prophet nor do I mean to put him in the same category as Moses, but I do believe that he has shepherded us through this crisis with skill, intelligence, sensitivity and even humour. He and his team made decisions that may have made many people uncomfortable but they were the good decisions. And now that people are more ‘comfortable’ in our ‘new normal’, it is understandable that there will be hesitation to ‘come out of confinement’.

But he is not flicking a switch and releasing us (or our kids) to the wolves. Not by a long shot.

He is being transparent that he and his team are working out the SAFEST and most effective scenarios to open things up.

Why is this a bad thing?? Would we rather they NOT think through all of the possible scenarios? Or would we rather they do so but not be transparent about the fact that they are looking into it? If they were too tight-lipped, we would accuse them of not being transparent…Come on…

Give.Them.A.Minute.

Whenever the man breathes a word about opening up school, parents begin to panic.  He is NOT opening schools tomorrow.  He was quite clear that schools would only open up at a MINIMUM of TWO WEEKS following any announcement…and no such announcement has yet been made. He seems to be suggesting that sending all of kids back simultaneously may not be the safest thing….he is concerned about a second wave….BECAUSE HE WANTS TO DO THIS SAFELY and in conjunction with Public Health.

Let them figure it out.

Put yourself into his shoes for a minute. Six weeks ago, the Quebec economy was rocking with the lowest unemployment rate it had seen since 1976. Was everything perfect?  No, but Quebec was on an economic ‘high’.  When the pandemic hit, he did not hesitate to shut down schools and businesses FOR THE SAFETY OF CITIZENS. He did not worry about the economy – he operated in ‘safety first’ mode…not the safety of the economy, but the safety of Québec citizens.

He shut down businesses and people lost jobs. The Québec government will collect less taxes as a result and yet Legault has been spending like a parent with a child who needs a lifesaving cure. Do you really believe he will allow himself to have put our province in this situation and now risk the health and safety of our children – or any of our citizens for that matter – in order to ‘start the economy back up’ again?!?!?

Not. A. Chance.

We need to have a little faith.  And patience.

We need to have faith in that the same man who has shepherded us to the point where we are today… with the curve believed to be flattened, ‘at its peak’.  I find it somewhat ironic because Moses himself found himself at a different ‘peak’, at the top of Mount Sinai, when the Israelites lost patience waiting for him to come down with the the Ten Commandments and with a plan for their own ‘next steps’. We know how that ended up: They lost faith in him and turned over their jewels to build a golden calf to worship…and it cost them 40 lost years of aimless wandering in the desert. In hindsight, they ought to have maintained their faith for just a little while longer. And so should we.

Give the man a minute.

He is not sacrificing our young or using them as guinea pigs. He is working out the proper ways to come out of confinement GRADUALLY and SAFELY.

Give the man a minute to define what is meant by ‘GRADUALLY’. This whole thing hit 6 weeks ago.

Give. The Man. A Minute.

And while you give him that minute, take a moment to be grateful for the fact that the only reason that we even have the luxury of worrying about how we will reopen is because he and his team did not hesitate to act to protect us all.

Again, I am not suggesting that François Legault is Moses, but as we approach the 40th day since most schools shut down, let’s not lose faith in our proven leader.

He has led us this far and he will lead us back to where we need to be.

Have faith.

I do.

Tanya

 

The Golden Calf was a Mistake…Let’s Not Repeat it. was last modified: April 21st, 2020 by Tanya Toledano
coronavirusCOVID-19Danielle McCannFrançois LegaultGolden CalfHoracio Arrudaopening schoolQuebec
1 comment
0
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Tanya Toledano

previous post
Easiest-Ever Almond Macaroons for Passover (or Not!)
next post
Frozen Leftover Chicken Pieces Converted to a Yummy Dinner

You may also like

Feed a Frontliner – Something We Can All Do to Combat COVID-19

March 27, 2020

#LifeOnTheSpectrum TWITTER PARTY! Join us April 3rd!

April 1, 2014

No Annual Check-Ups for Healthy Quebecers Age 5& Up: A Sickening Decision. Literally.

May 31, 2016

Taking Care of Me: I joined Weight Watchers

March 6, 2017

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau & the FitSpirit Foundation – Bringing Fitness and Spirit Into the Lives of Teen Girls

April 15, 2016

It Took Me Over Two Years To Let My Guard Down…and Less Than Two Days to Test Positive.

June 23, 2022

Weight Watchers Wednesday: 5 Point-Shavers That Have Helped Me :)

July 19, 2017

Dear Parents: As School Begins, We Need to BE. THE. VILLAGE.

August 31, 2020

Diabetes Management Using Your SmartPhone #ConnectedHealth

August 25, 2016

Guide to Online Grocery Shopping Where You Pick Up But NEVER LEAVE YOUR CAR.

March 24, 2020

1 comment

An Open Letter to Dr. Arruda and Premier Legault - In You I Trust...ed. - Montrealmom.com August 10, 2020 at 6:21 pm

[…] actions and intentions. I did so privately in phone calls, emails and text messages. I also did so publicly on my website and when I was interviewed by CJAD […]

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

  • GIVEAWAY: Enter for Your Chance to WIN One of Fifteen Family Packs of Four Passes to See the Montreal Advance Screening of Marvel Studios’ ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

  • GIVEAWAY: Enter for a Chance to WIN One of Ten Family Packs of Four Passes to See the Montreal Advance Screening of Disney’s Strange World!

  • NEW! Pre-K Program in the West Island at Inventor STEM School!

  • It Took Me Over Two Years To Let My Guard Down…and Less Than Two Days to Test Positive.

  • GIVEAWAY: ENTER for a Chance to WIN One of Five FAMILY PACKS OF FOUR PASSES to See the Montreal Advance Screening of Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ !

Subscribe to our Newsletter

  • #GIVEAWAYALERT Who would like to see the Montreal Advance Screening of Marvel Studios’ 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quant… https://t.co/lzjoGC9Ohk

    01-Feb-2023

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • Must share that I LOVE @TommyBahama -and that it’s available online in #Canada 💗 Not only are the dresses the BEST…… https://t.co/mHrgGKHFIc

    12-Dec-2022

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • #GIVEAWAYALERT ENTER for a chance to WIN one of 10 FAMILY PACKS OF FOUR PASSES to see the Montreal Advance Screenin… https://t.co/FRs4UGrUqU

    08-Nov-2022

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • Still looking for a Pre-K program with an enriching and educational experience in a half-day format? You'll be thri… https://t.co/xyrdoJ4SGd

    15-Aug-2022

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • #GIVEAWAYAlert Who would like to see the Montreal Advance Screening of Disney and Pixar's 'Lightyear'?!? ENTER… https://t.co/riTuuYJQgM

    07-Jun-2022

    Reply Retweet Favorite
team-teluspg-mom-badge

Archives

Categories

LATEST FROM INSTAGRAM

Follow on Instagram

AS SEEN ON TV

Subscribe to montrealmomTV on YouTube to be the first to see Tanya's latest videos.
  • Our Family’s Experience with the Ford Expedition

Subscribe to our Newsletter

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube
  • Periscope
Footer Logo

© 2016 montrealmom.com. All rights reserved  |  Powered by Red Dream Studios


Back To Top
We use cookies on our website to give you the best experience on our website. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT