A trauma-informed society recognizes the widespread impact of trauma on individuals and communities. It responds by integrating this understanding into policies, practices, and services.
Its goal is to create environments that are safe, trustworthy, and empowering—spaces that promote healing and resilience while preventing further harm. I believe many of us long for this kind of compassionate, informed approach in our communities and within ourselves.
Over the past five years, however, I’ve sadly witnessed a rise in entitlement, greed, and self-righteous attitudes rooted in self-interest. When the freedom to question authority or express differing opinions is met with dismissive, irrelevant, and sometimes even insulting labels, especially by our politicians, and the public response is silence, it deeply troubles me.
For decades, governments of all parties have contributed to division among us. Political strategies often involve favouring certain groups for votes while fostering confusion, mistrust and misunderstandings between citizens. If we, the people, actually took the time to connect—beyond political lines—we’d likely discover we have far more in common than not.
Unfortunately, many important conversations today are avoided out of fear of being attacked or judged.
The recent Blue Hat Memorial display in Campbell River highlighted the 50,000 deaths caused by the opioid crisis throughout Canada. Last fall’s display for B.C. alone was for 15,000 deaths, and within the total for men, 70 per cent of deaths were industry/blue-collar workers.
Each flag represents a person—a life lost, a family grieving.
We must ask not only how they died, but why so many feel such deep pain in the first place. When we reflect on the roots of trauma, we often look back to childhood. I often wonder how many were shaped or hurt by early experiences within the school system. How many felt seen or valued in their brilliance and uniqueness? In my generation, I remember in high school, trades were said to be for the "stupid" kids.
Bullying comes in many forms. I offer these reflections with humility, knowing that each of us has a different story or contemplation.
I am genuinely concerned for the future of our politics, as more freedoms are stripped away and entitlement and greed grow among our so-called leaders. We, the people, must hold our politicians, ministries, corporations, organizations and ourselves to standards of honour, humility, and accountability. Ultimately, we are all responsible for the state of our country and the direction it’s heading.
“To whom much is given, much is required” is a phrase I was taught early in life—by my grandparents, my family, and my faith. It’s a reminder that those with privilege, opportunity, and knowledge carry a responsibility to serve and uplift others. I do not take my blessings here in Canada for granted. That is why I’m writing this letter.
May we all find within ourselves more love, more compassion, and a deeper desire to truly understand one another and discover the beauty within us all.
Sincerely,
Lisa Perry
Smithers
