The recent poll on whether Okanagan readers support a Trump style ban on Syrian refugees, like other Castanet polls, is not necessarily an accurate reflection of the opinion of Okanagan residents. The same person can “vote” multiple times, giving their voice greater weight. Nobody knows whether the “voters” represent a cross section of our population or whether they are a group of trolls having a field day.
Castanet polls are entertainment akin to a personality test in a popular magazine. As such they are an appropriate vehicle to test opinions on how we spend our long weekends or perhaps even what we think about a local dog park.
To raise an issue that allows the safety of real people to be challenged, both in their homeland and in our communities, as an entertainment item is deeply concerning to me. It allows hateful voices to be amplified and normalizes a callous disregard for human suffering.
Complex problems don’t have simplistic solutions. They require respectful dialogue.
Thank you to Kristina Smith and Darcy Langhorn who contributed to a more thoughtful discussion with their letters.
Brigitte Wagner