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Keith Gerein: Honesty may help Alberta survive its referendum showdown. And honestly, the secessionist movement stinks

In an era of destructive politics and communication, Alberta's vote on a separation referendum holds the potential to further divide people.

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In recent months, I have had a number of conversations about what might be called a breakdown of the social contract.

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I’m hardly the first to call it out, but I have noticed more and more people, in one way or another, are similarly taking stock of the trend, if not also falling victim to it at times as a consequence of the preposterous era in which we live.

The cracks are both obvious and subtle, global and local. The common theme is an abandonment of basic virtues like respect, empathy and fairness, refusing to bare false witness, fidelity to the rule of law and so on. It ranges from behavior like Edmontonians threatening and throwing things at city snow-clearing crews last winter all the way up to the everyday grift and nihilism we see from political leaders.

I bring this up as preamble to the question of how we as Albertans are going to treat each other in the leadup and aftermath to the Oct. 19 vote on a secession referendum.

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