Fairness Is a Team Sport
Ours To Protect
Canada loves its sports metaphors.
Hockey, especially.
If you’ve ever had a conversation with a Canadian over the age of 10, you know we’re capable of turning literally anything ...politics, weather, tax season ...into a face-off situation and we’ll probably find a way to insert a Paul Henderson or Sidney Crosby reference.
But here’s the thing: fairness really is a team sport.
Not the sweaty kind with whistles and Gatorade, but the kind that quietly keeps the country running without anyone punching someone in the penalty box of democracy.
And yes, this is where I acknowledge the obvious:
As a straight white guy, I’ve had a pretty good run under the rule of law.
Like… historically speaking?
Not a bad deal.
I hit life’s ice with a lot of padding, a stick that wasn’t broken, and a ref who didn’t immediately assume I’d committed a minor infraction just by showing up.
So maybe it’s time we talk about what fairness actually looks like ...and why it only works when everyone gets the same deal I’ve been coasting on for a while.
The Rule of Law: The Ultimate Team Play
The rule of law is basically society’s version of “everyone gets a turn.”
It’s the structure that makes sure nobody is above the rules, below the rules, or trapped in some weird rule-adjacent limbo.
Without the rule of law, society becomes a beer-league hockey game with no ref and one guy who insists he “plays better angry.” Suddenly people are slashing each other for parking spots, and the HOA president starts wearing aviators and declaring himself Supreme Leader of Cul-de-Sacs.
But with the rule of law?
Everyone has the right to participate. Everyone gets protected. Everyone gets a fair shot ...even people who pronounce “bagel” like it rhymes with “haggle.”
It’s the great equalizer… when we actually apply it that way.
Shared Responsibility: It’s Not Just the Government’s Job (Sorry)
One of the fun Canadian myths is that fairness is something institutions “handle.” Like recycling. Or snow removal. Or remembering to put poutine on the festival menu.
But fairness isn’t automatic. It’s not pumped through the vents at Parliament like political Febreze. It’s something we all contribute to ...like a potluck, except nobody gets to show up with a half-empty bag of chips and call it a day.
Fairness means:
speaking up when someone gets shut out,
backing systems that protect marginalized communities,
making sure the rules work for everyone ...not just those of us who routinely get asked to “fix the Bluetooth,” because apparently that’s my demographic power.
Look, I know it’s tempting to think “the system is fine; it’s running well for me!”
But that’s like skating on freshly flooded ice while pretending not to see the giant, ankle-cracking pothole in the corner.
Just because you didn’t fall in doesn’t mean it’s not there.
If one person gets a fair game and another doesn’t, that’s not fairness.
That’s men’s league hockey drunk at 11 p.m. on a Friday.
Inclusion: You Actually Need the Whole Team
Here’s the truth: the rule of law only works when everyone is on the ice. If whole groups of people are kept to the sidelines ...by discrimination, bias, intimidation, or those little bureaucratic mazes that feel like they were designed by a bored trickster god ...then it stops being rule of law and starts becoming rule of “whoever got here first.”
When fairness works, it looks like:
Indigenous communities having real access to justice.
New Canadians feeling protected, not precarious.
LGBTQ2S+ folks not having to second-guess whether the system has their back.
People of colour not being treated like “exceptions” to the rules meant to protect them.
Women being heard the first time, not the fifth.
A genuinely fair system doesn’t ask people to “prove” they belong on the team.
It just hands them a jersey.
Self-Awareness: The Most Canadian of Superpowers
This is where I, a man whose brand is “polite but slightly annoyed,” admit something important.
Fairness can’t just be personal.
It has to be structural.
It’s not enough for me to say, “Well, I treat people fairly.”
Cool. Great. Gold star for me.
But fairness that depends on the whims of one guy is just benevolent dictatorship with extra steps.
The rule of law exists so fairness doesn’t depend on who’s having a good day, who’s in charge, or who has the loudest megaphone. It’s predictable. Consistent. Boring in the best possible way ...like a dishwasher that just works.
But only if we maintain it.
Only if we demand it.
Only if we expand it to everyone ...not just the people who already feel safe inside it.
Fairness is a team sport. And if the team isn’t complete, then we’re not playing the right game.
A Quick Word About the Refs
And yes… the refs matter.
In sports, a bad ref can ruin a game faster than a broken Zamboni.
In society, it’s the same deal.
Judges, police, lawmakers, regulators ...anyone with power over the rules needs accountability, transparency, and a healthy reminder that whistles are not magic wands.
A truly fair system doesn’t just enforce the rules.
It enforces fairness itself.
Even for the refs.
Especially for the refs.
Don’t Drop the Puck on This One
The rule of law only works when everyone plays by the same rules ...no exceptions, no favourites, no “well, this guy has connections.” It’s the foundation that keeps the game fair, the rink safe, and the whole country from descending into off-ice chaos.
Fairness is not passive.
It’s not automatic.
It’s something we protect together.
So if you want to understand how fairness, justice, and equality actually stay in the game for every Canadian ...how the system works, how it protects people, and where it needs strengthening ...there’s a great resource that breaks it all down:
Visit ourstoprotect.ca.
It’s ours to protect.
So let’s not drop the puck on this one.
Let’s be more like the ‘72 Summit when… okay, I’ll stop.
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